Namibia's rain season roughly stretches from January to April, where it then turns into a very dry and cold winter during the months of June to September. After September, Namibia starts to warm up again and get very hot during October and November. The cycle begins after that. Just thinking about these very large-scale weather patterns has changed my perspective on Namibia.
Back to the main event, today in northern Namibia just north of Etosha national park, a heavy thunderstorm struck. The region that was effected is not far from where we will be traveling too, so its good to keep in mind that this region can experience torrential downpour. Namibia's relatively poor infrastructure in the this region allowed the storm to leave destruction in its wake. Power lines were torn, millet or mahangu fields were destroyed, trees were uprooted, and even houses were wrecked. Some locals who endured the storm were hiding in a building with all the windows and doors shut, when the roof unexpectedly blew of the house! They had to seek refuge in vehicles parked outside instead. To the individual who owned that property, the damage will cost him over N$100,000 ($8,300 USD). For a society where the average yearly income is $5,800 USD, damages like this pose great issues. Insurance also comes into play here, where most of the population doesn't have home insurance. There is no obvious solution to these problems posed by natural disasters, but discussions must take place to support all people in Namibia.
-- Romain Screve
Sources: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/250090585534169809/
http://www.info-namibia.com/info/namibia-weather
https://www.namibian.com.na/65530/read/Heavy-thunderstorm-devastates-Omusimboti-village
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Omusimboti,+Namibia/@-18.2189922,14.9936102,8z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x1b93a716b150a9af:0x2f2285411f8bed09!8m2!3d-17.900419!4d15.751667
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