South African insurer Santam has reported an increase in claims due to the severe weather conditions in the Western Cape. File Picture: Karen Sandison / Independent Newspapers
South African short-term insurer Santam has confirmed that in the past 48 hours they have been dealing with multiple claims due to the severe weather conditions that has impacted the Western Cape province.
Along with a large claim for the Blaauwklippen Agricultural Estate that the company has registered, high gale force winds has resulted in the spread of fire in the areas of Stellenbosch and Fish Hoek area over the weekend.
There was also storm damage in the following areas: Paarl, Strand, Wellington, Somerset West, Muizenberg, Gordons Bay, Vredehoek, Three Anchor Bay area.
According to Santam, by early Monday morning they had registered around 160 claims and they expect that this number will increase substantially, as there are still some areas that are still experiencing strong winds.
Insurance claims that Santam has been receiving from this morning range from damage due to roofs being blown off and trees falling on properties.
Rowland Ramalingam, head of Non-Motor Claims at Santam said: "It is too early to quantify the extent of the damage or how much the claims could possibly amount to. What we do know, however, is that the frequency and severity of extreme weather events is increasing and would therefore advise the public to take precautions where possible.“
Santam assessors on the ground have confirmed that most damage will be of high value due to the gale force winds.
According to the South African Weather Service, the Western Cape will continue to experience inclement conditions over the coming days.
Here are tips to minimise the possibility of being affected by the severe weather conditions.
– You should use GPS or App-related maps to find viable routes when you are travelling in the affected areas.
– Driving slowly can minimise damage linked to storms and help you when using slippery roads.
– If you are affected then you should locate a safe, covered area immediately or pull over under an overpass, but only if it is safe to do so.
– Undercover parking at malls and petrol stations is a good temporary solution to protecting your car during heavy rains.
– If you are affected by a storm, you must immediately report the incident to your insurer.
– In incidents of heavy rain, you should always try and divert water 'runoff' away from your house, if possible.
– Identify areas where water is likely to pool and flood into your home. Then install preventative measures such as a dry well or you can consider installing tubes and pipes which could facilitate water into and out of the well.
– Make sure that stormwater infrastructure and the road on your property is kept clean. Conventional stormwater infrastructure can quickly drain stormwater to rivers and streams, moving the water away from your property.
– If you live in an area that's known for flooding, please make sure you know what to do when your house floods, like packing an emergency box.
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