Heavy storms tore through macadamia farms in Brondal near Mbombela on Saturday night, leaving behind uprooted trees and widespread crop damage.

One of the macadamia farmers’ partners, Cindy Cutting, emotionally shared with Lowvelder that they were shocked by the news when their truck driver informed them, as they were not on the farm at the time.

She and her partner, Danie Terblanche, visited the farm the following day and could barely access the land due to fallen trees blocking the road.

“Never in 22 years have we seen a disaster like this,” she says.

The lapa’s roof was torn off, flooding the house due to heavy rain and hail from the storm. Cutting says they had lost between seven and eight hectares of crops and would likely have no harvest next year.

“This could not have come at a worse time,” Cutting says.

Terblanche has been farming for the past few years after giving up his career as a professional aviator due to serious health issues.

Cutting appealed to the public for any assistance to help restore their farm.

Another macadamia farmer, Homer Neethling, also suffered losses amounting to millions and was on his farm when the storm hit.

“We were travelling from White River and saw dark clouds. Once we got home, it started to rain, and strong winds and hail poured down,” Neethling says. He and his wife began to pray for the hail to stop, and within 30 minutes, the storm ended.

“In half an hour, we had 80mm of rain,” he says. Adding to the devastation, a wild fig tree was uprooted and fell onto their house, causing serious damage.

While many residents believed the area had experienced a tornado, Puseletso Mofokeng, a senior forecaster at the South African Weather Service, confirmed that the storm was not a tornado. He explained that a tornado requires specific atmospheric conditions, including the interaction of multiple storm systems.

Farmers in the community have since reached out to assist affected neighbours and expressed heartfelt gratitude for the support received.

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