Rosemary Kruger with the black wattle that toppled onto her patio roof and caused damage to her gutters. Photo: Pauline Lourens
George: Strong winds cause havoc (24 May 2014)
GEORGE NEWS - Gail force winds wreaked havoc throughout the district with George Municipality's emergency staff working around the clock to restore power to widespread areas after electricity networks were damaged.
Huge trees were uprooted and, with winds reaching up to 78km/h in George, a few freak accidents were reported.
The Fosters, from Lavalia, had a lucky escape with no major injuries after a large tree struck their car at 14:10 on Saturday afternoon as they drove past George Hospital in Davidson Road, George.
The Krugers, who live in Bergsig, were not home when a huge black wattle, which was growing in their garden, toppled, damaging their patio roof and gutters. Rosemary and Andrew Kruger got a frantic call from their neighbour around lunchtime to inform them of the damage.
Electrical repairs
George Municipality's Media Liaison Officer Chantel Edwards-Klose said on Monday morning the George Electro-Technical Department reported that the FM tower was being repaired. By Tuesday power to the tower was restored. Electricity poles in Glenwood Lane and Rosemore were damaged on Sunday.
On Monday she said, "Single complaints from households are still coming in and are being attended to, but we are happy to report that the bulk of major repairs are completed. High voltage areas that require extensive work included Glenwood Lane, Hoekwil, Platrif and Herold's Bay. However, most of the households in these areas do have power. Our electro-technical staff have worked throughout the night with only a short break and are at work today to continue repairs and attend to complaints. We continue to ask for the community's patience and understanding."
Widespread areas from Blanco to Hansmoeskraal and from Syferfontein to Hoekwil had been affected. Electrical contractors worked alongside municipal staff to see to the repairs as soon as possible. In Glenwood most of the lines were pulled down by trees.
ARTICLE: PAULINE LOURENS, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
George: Family survives falling tree
GEORGE NEWS - The only thing that Juanita Foster could think about as a tree branch crashed through their car's windscreen during the storm on Saturday afternoon, was the safety of her children.
The branch narrowly missed Foster's legs, but the mayor's personal assistant just wanted to get her daughters out of the car to safety.
The freak accident happened while she and her husband, Brian, and their two daughters, Arabella (15) and Gabariélla (13), were travelling down Davidson Road, George. They were on their way home after attending a hockey match in Oudtshoorn.
The incident left her husband astonished. "I did not see any car coming so my first thought was: what is causing this?" Upon surveying the damage he could not believe that his family had emerged relatively unhurt. "Thank God Juanita had her sunglasses on, which protected her eyes against the shattered glass flying through the car."
A Metro paramedic, who witnessed the incident from the George Hospital, jumped into his ambulance and immediately assisted the family. The George Fire Brigade was there to remove the rest of the tree from the road after the Metro Rescue Service workers, with the aid of their bakkie, had winched it onto the island.
The couple is full of praise for Georgians' willingness to help. "Everybody, from Timothy Luff - the professional paramedic first on the scene who treated my daughters for shock - to the parents who stopped to ask if they could help, to the Metro Rescue Service workers, were all amazing," said Juanita.
ARTICLE: PAULINE LOURENS, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
MSBWX VIA FACEBOOK: Never seen this before but the wind just blew out about 20 car windows at the mall. Freeeeeeky stuff. - Shane de Meillon
