Martin Endjala
The City of Windhoek has made a call on all residents to make reparations for the rainy season while it is still early and not to be caught off guard.
Communications officer Lydia Amutenya in an interview with the Windhoek Observer said that residents must be proactive and not to react when it is too late.
Amutenya said this after the Namibia Meteorological Service predicted a cluster of thunderstorm cells that may trigger severe hailstorms in the North, Khomas, Hardap and Omaheke regions.
When asked how prepared the City is to render assistance should any disaster occur, she indicated that as per the City of Windhoek emergency and disaster management response, they already began earlier this year to clear river beds to allow easy flow of water and relocating those who were in very risky flash floods and mudslide areas to higher grounds.
Although the relocating was faced with resistance by some residents due to reasons such as moving them far from the schools of their children the process got underway.
Amutenya encouraged residents and the nation at large to ensure that their structures are in good condition to withstand storms as Namibia is currently in the peak of stormy weather.
She said that mitigation does pay off as it helps reduce the amount of structural damage, financial
losses, and reduce the chances of flash floods or lessons the damage thereof.
She further stressed that people should clear all debris garden refuse close to their drainage systems, nearby rivers, streams, channels and openings in the boundary walls.
Amutenya also stated that residents must familiarize themselves with the City of Windhoek’s social media platforms to be informed about emergency updates which is often done after hours via their website.
She urged people to stop dumping waste in riverbeds as this blocks the flow of rain water, while also indicating that apart from the hail storm that hit the city on Saturday afternoon, there were no incidents reported.
