hail storm kakheti 2013-04-10 ii

The hail left a 7-8 cm thick layer on the ground some places. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–A hailstorm Wednesday destroyed harvest and flooded the first floors of houses in the village Ruispiri in eastern Georgia.

Information Center of Kakheti reports that the hailstorm lasted 20 minutes and ripped the flowers off trees.

“The hail is like snow there,” Temur Gigauri, trustee of the village, told ICK. “Old plants, peach, vineyards are 100 percent destroyed.”

He said work is underway to get a clear picture of the extent of damage, which will be fully compensated.

The villages Tsinandali, Kisiskhevi and Kondoli nearby Telavi, the largest town in Kakhtei, were also affected by the hail. Locals say the hail left a 7-8 cm thick layer on the ground in some places.

A commission is set up in Telavi local government to measure the extent of damage.

The Kakheti region in Georgia has been hit by sudden storms in recent years. A strong hailstorm hit Kakheti last summer destroying tens of thousands houses and harvest. The victims were compensated in January 2013.