‘It sounded like rocks falling’: Residents share hailstorm havoc

“It’s like a winter wonderland, except I’m in panic mode,” said Valencia Petje, one of the residents impacted by a severe hailstorm that wreaked overnight havoc in parts of Gauteng.

On Monday morning, the City of Ekurhuleni confirmed most parts of Kempton Park, including the CBD, were in the dark due to the hailstorm.

The roof at Festival Mall caved in, affecting most retailers, said city spokesperson Eric Maloka.

Residents in the metro reported damage to carports. Maloka said an assessment was under way to determine the extent of the damage.

Kempton Park resident Cardia Fourie said her house was damaged by the hail.

Fourie said when the hail started after 11pm, “it sounded like rocks had started falling”.

“You could hear doof, doof and it became more and more,” she said.

She said when she looked out of a window, the hail stones were the size of freezer ice blocks.

“There were blocks falling, and then bigger round hail stones started falling. It continued for quite a while.”

She reported five broken windows, damage to electric fencing, broken gutters and a collapsed carport. The roof in her home is leaking.

She said other residents in the area reported about 12 to 15 broken windows

“It was very severe last night. I was scared. My child was sitting on the bed praying for the hail to go away it was so bad.”

She said in the 20 years she has lived in Kempton Park, she has never experienced such a severe hailstorm.

Despite the damage to her home, she said she is thinking about those who are destitute and people living in informal settlements.

The City of Tshwane emergency services department said severe hailstorm affected several parts of the city, causing localised damage across regions 1, 2, 3 and 5.

Emergency services said the storm resulted in disruptions in communities, with reports of damaged infrastructure, flooded households and obstructed roadways.

A resident in Pretoria North, Valencia Petje, said when the hail started, “It felt like the entire roof was going to cave in.”

Her house flooded, solar panels were damaged and a bathroom window was shattered.

“I opened the door to check what was happening and the hail was literally to my ankles. My feet were in water flooded on the floor.”

Petje said she, her husband and daughter prayed for the storm to pass.

“We slept huddled together. It was scary. I literally thought this was the end,” Petje said.

Petje had to skip work to tend to the incident’s aftermath.

She said people in her neighbourhood woke up to lawns covered in thick ice and garage doors blocked by ice. An excavator had to clear roads.

“I no longer see the greenery I used to see. It’s greenery plus ice. It’s like a winter wonderland, except I’m in panic mode.”

The city said the emergency services department’s disaster management officers, with the regional operations co-ordination department, are conducting a situational assessment to determine the full extent of the impact.

The city’s spokesperson Nana Radebe-Kgiba said this includes evaluating affected infrastructure, identifying high-risk areas and co-ordinating the clearing of roads to restore accessibility and ensure public safety.

“Emergency services teams, including disaster risk management, remain on the ground attending to affected areas and supporting residents where necessary. At this stage, no major injuries have been reported,” she said.

Radebe-Kgiba said the emergency management services department has received a weather warning from the SA Weather Service of a 60% chance of rain on Monday.

“Motorists and residents are urged to exercise caution and avoid flooded or debris-covered roads. The city will continue to monitor weather developments and share updates as more information becomes available.”

TimesLIVE