“We were preparing to cook dinner when a sudden windstorm tore off the roof of our house. Our food supplies and clothes were soaked. We were busy trying to save our lives and had no time to protect our belongings,” said Mahesh Joshi of Shuklaphanta Municipality–9, describing the hardship caused by the windstorm that struck on the night of June 10. “We are now forced to live under the open sky. The storm has left us devastated.”
A severe windstorm in Shuklaphanta Municipality–9 affected 80 families. The storm damaged 60 houses and 20 cattle sheds, disrupting the shelter, food supplies, and daily lives of dozens of households.
According to Ward Chairperson Ramesh Bahadur Ayer, the storm blew away the corrugated metal and tiled roofs of most houses. The rainfall that followed soaked stored grain and food supplies, rendering them unusable. “Many families are facing serious difficulties,” he said. “Some have taken shelter with relatives, while others are still living in temporary arrangements under the open sky.”
The windstorm also caused extensive damage to electricity infrastructure. A total of 18 electricity poles collapsed in different parts of the ward, while several others were damaged. The collapse of a pole supporting a 200-kVA transformer disrupted electricity service across the entire area for two days.
“Not only the roofs of houses and cattle sheds, but electricity infrastructure has also suffered significant damage,” Ayer said. “All five CCTV cameras installed across the ward have been damaged, and approximately 1.5 kilometers of CCTV cable has been severed.”
According to him, falling trees also damaged some houses and school buildings. Technical teams from the Nepal Electricity Authority have been mobilized to restore power in the affected areas. Efforts to remove fallen poles, install new ones, and repair transmission lines are underway.
“Necessary work is being carried out to resume electricity supply,” Ayer said. “If weather conditions remain favorable, we are trying to restore electricity service by tomorrow.”
Police personnel and local representatives have begun preparing damage assessment reports to determine the full extent of the losses caused by the storm. According to Ayer, data on affected families are being collected, and necessary procedures for relief distribution and rehabilitation have been initiated.
Local residents said that although the windstorm lasted only a few minutes, it caused extensive damage to structures built through years of hard work. Low-income families have been particularly affected.
The local government has stated that it will coordinate with provincial and federal authorities to provide relief assistance and support rehabilitation efforts for affected families.