Joburg residents warned of severe thunderstorms and possible flooding
JOBURG - Motorists urged to drive safely.
The South African Weather Service has warned residents of severe thunderstorms with chances of flooding in parts of Gauteng.
In recalling the severe hailstorms experienced across the Gauteng region which had insurance providers inundated with claims, Heidi Dias, head of claims transformation at Mutual and Federal, said, “We recommend that homeowners put in place a few precautions for both hail and thunderstorms. This will help to safeguard people from injury and will also help alleviate damage to people’s belongings.”
When possible, avoid driving in hailstorms. If this isn’t possible, pull into an undercover facility to limit the amount of hailstorm exposure to your vehicle. Mutual and Federal offers a weather alert service for its clients, which is sent via SMS upon subscription to the service. This will help drivers to plan their trips.
With Gauteng typically experiencing rain during the summer season, road conditions often deteriorate during this time. Mutual and Federal has seen an increase in road accidents during the summer months in Johannesburg. When driving in the rain, drivers should increase their following distance by a minimum of a three-car lengths, as well as decrease their driving speed and turn on their vehicle’s headlights.
Another common weather-related insurance issue is damage to electronic devices caused by lightning. At the start of a storm, people should unplug as many of their electronic devices as possible such as WiFi routers, cellphone chargers, UPS devices and computers.
Dias added, “We have always been consistent in implementing a contingency plan to deal with the influx of claims during certain high impact periods and will continue to do so. We can’t guarantee weather patterns or incidents, but where possible, following some suggested guidelines will go a long way in helping to protect both people and their belongings.”
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