Tens of families spent night in the cold after a freak storm wreaked havoc in a village in Kisumu County on Thursday night.
The 8pm storm at Korando A sub-location blew off the roofs of houses, uprooted crops and trees leaving a damage trail in its wake. What was left of the strong winds was beaten down by rain.
According to residents, the strong winds came without warning and lasted for a few seconds.
Consolata Awuor, 80, was in her house with her teenage grandson when disaster struck. She was among tens of households whose houses were destroyed.
“I thought it was an airplane. But all over sudden the house was shaking and in seconds the roof was gone.
Lencer Otieno, a widow with four children said that she was asleep when the storm came.
She said: “I heard my children scream in fear and when I woke up, the middle section of the house was missing.”
James Olendi said his wife survived death by a whisker.
“She had just left the bedroom when part of the wall was crushed on the bed, throwing debris all over the room as the wind took away the roof. We had just moved into the house that cost me more than Sh2 million to build,” he said.
Another man left counting millions of losses was Raphael Otieno. His rental house complex was condemned. Building that cost close to Sh2 million also had the roof blown off and a section of the walls brought down.
Those affected sought refuge from neighbours as rains pounded for the rest of the night. They woke up to pick up pieces of timber and iron sheets, some of which had been carried for over 400 metres.
The Kenya Red Cross and the Kisumu governor’s office arrived at the village Friday morning to assess damage for emergency aid.
Kisumu County Special Programmes director, Eric Odida said the damage was massive and that there was need for immediate response.
He said the governor Jack Ranguma had pledged county support in reconstruction of the homes
The village is located next to Lake Victoria and is in the path of strong winds.