Durban - MORE than 200 people have died in weather-related disasters in KwaZulu-Natal this year.
In the latest incident, severe thunderstorms damaged 308 houses and a school, and left 32 families homeless, in the Harry Gwala District, on Christmas Eve.
The affected area spanned the Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, uMzimkhulu and uBuhlebezwe local municipalities.
Although no fatalities were reported following this week’s thunderstorms, according to the Co-operative
Governance and Traditional Affairs Department (Cogta), more than 200 people have died in the province as a result of weather-related incidents this year.
Cogta MEC Sipho Hlomuka has directed the department to convene a disaster management workshop next year, to mitigate the impact of weather-related incidents across the province.
At the start of December, premier Sihle Zikalala said four tornadoes had hit five local municipalities in November.
Two weeks ago, three people were killed in the Inanda area, north of Durban, when heavy rains battered the city, while 31 people were killed and 135 injured, and some 3072 households and 15540 people were impacted by weather disasters, in October and November.
Zikalala said the damage was estimated to cost over R560million.
In April, more than 70 people were killed and scores injured during the Easter weekend, when heavy rains battered the province.
As a result, KZN was declared a disaster area.
Hlomuka said KZN was at the forefront of climate change, which was redefining conventional science and traditional responses to disasters.
He said the department would continue to bolster its education and public awareness efforts, because summer was the most active season in terms of storms, lightning and, most recently, tornadoes.
eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said the newly completed promenade had been constructed with climate change in mind because water levels were rising.
“It has been designed to make the infrastructure more responsive to the conditions,” Kaunda said.