Emergency services have hands full after violent hailstorm in Joburg

The Johannesburg emergency management services (EMS) had a busy night responding to hailstorm incidents that mostly affected Rosebank, Paulshof, Midrand, Braamfontein and Marlboro.

A woman who fell into a drain in Soweto was rescued. Flooding incidents were reported in Marlboro. 

Guests were evacuated after the Southern Sun hotel in Rosebank sustained partial storm damage on Monday. The roof above the hotel restaurant collapsed under a sudden build-up of ice and water from the storm.

The hotel said emergency services were quickly on the scene to secure the area.

“No serious injuries were reported and guests were evacuated and relocated to Southern Sun’s hotels nearby. The hotel is closed for an evaluation and repair and affected reservations are being transferred to the group’s other hotels,” said head of marketing Candy Tothill.

In Midrand, several cars lost their windscreens when hailstones as big as golf balls pounded unsheltered vehicles. Emergency services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said most reports were about damage to vehicles.

“There was an incident of households flooded in Marlboro. We managed to assist families to drain water in the area with the [help of the] community.

“There was also one incident in Soweto where a lady fell into a drain. The lady was assisted by our paramedics from the Gauteng EMS and she was transported to a healthcare facility for further medical care.”

No fatalities or injuries were reported due to the hail storm. He said emergency services would remain on high alert monitoring the seven regions in the City of Johannesburg.

“We urge motorists to exercise caution while driving and residents in low-lying areas, especially in informal settlements, to avoid crossing rivers or streams and keep children away from those areas so we can prevent further incidents which might occur throughout the day,” he said.

Residents shared videos and pictures showing damage caused by the hail storm.

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