France to declare areas of 'natural disaster' after storms batter country
Farmers in southeast France have been left counting the costs from lost harvests after fierce storms battered the region with hail the size of ping-pong balls, decimating orchards and vineyards just as the summer season was kicking into high gear.
"Pretty much my entire harvest is ruined," said Gregory Chardon who grows apricots, peaches and cherries at his farm in La Roche-de-Glun in the Drome department, about an hour's drive south of Lyon.
?Le lac Léman a été balayé par une véritable #tempête hier, liée au passage des #orages en Rhône-Alpes et sur la #Suisse. Des vagues de 4 mètres se sont soudainement formées, provoquant de nombreux chavirages !
Source : https://t.co/g11AFAFze9 pic.twitter.com/1yTY3nzLNv
— La Chaîne Météo (@lachainemeteo) 16 June 2019
Even the netting strung over his fields was no match for the tempest of hail which suddenly struck on Saturday afternoon, strewing the ground with damaged fruit and broken branches.
READ ALSO: What does a state of 'natural disaster' actually mean in France?
Agriculture minister Didier Guillaume meets farmers in La Roche de Glun. Photo: AFP
"The damage is enormous and widely spread - cereals, greenhouse and vegetable farms, and vineyards as well," Chardon said.
In the neighbouring village of Pont-de-L'Isere, Aurelien Esprit showed apricots littering the ground and battered apple trees at his orchards in a Facebook video.
"Unfortunately the season ended for us last night. I don't think I'm going to make it this time," he said.
Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume said the state would declare a natural emergency to trigger insurance payments and other help to farmers facing huge losses.
"It's catastrophic, I've rarely seen scenes like this," Guillaume told BFM television while touring the area Sunday. "It's unthinkable that farmers would be forced into bankruptcy because of this."
Apricots damaged by the hailstorms. Photo: AFP
The epicentre of the storm was at Romas-sur-Isere where streets were turned into raging torrents.
The hail shattered car windshields and severely damaged the roofs of dozens of homes, including smashing the sunlight on the roof of a gymnasium where a judo competition was being held.
In the neighbouring Haute-Savoie region, a 51-year-old German woman was a killed after a tree fell on her camper during the storm.
Rescue workers responded to hundreds of calls for help and officials said 10 people were injured.
"Weather episodes as violent as this are quite rare, and I've never seen one like it in this area," said Lieutenant-Colonel Herve Gabion of the fire brigade for the Drome department.
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"Pretty much my entire harvest is ruined," said Gregory Chardon who grows apricots, peaches and cherries at his farm in La Roche-de-Glun in the Drome department, about an hour's drive south of Lyon.
?Le lac Léman a été balayé par une véritable #tempête hier, liée au passage des #orages en Rhône-Alpes et sur la #Suisse. Des vagues de 4 mètres se sont soudainement formées, provoquant de nombreux chavirages !
— La Chaîne Météo (@lachainemeteo) 16 June 2019
Source : https://t.co/g11AFAFze9 pic.twitter.com/1yTY3nzLNv
Even the netting strung over his fields was no match for the tempest of hail which suddenly struck on Saturday afternoon, strewing the ground with damaged fruit and broken branches.
READ ALSO: What does a state of 'natural disaster' actually mean in France?
Agriculture minister Didier Guillaume meets farmers in La Roche de Glun. Photo: AFP
"The damage is enormous and widely spread - cereals, greenhouse and vegetable farms, and vineyards as well," Chardon said.
In the neighbouring village of Pont-de-L'Isere, Aurelien Esprit showed apricots littering the ground and battered apple trees at his orchards in a Facebook video.
"Unfortunately the season ended for us last night. I don't think I'm going to make it this time," he said.
Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume said the state would declare a natural emergency to trigger insurance payments and other help to farmers facing huge losses.
"It's catastrophic, I've rarely seen scenes like this," Guillaume told BFM television while touring the area Sunday. "It's unthinkable that farmers would be forced into bankruptcy because of this."
Apricots damaged by the hailstorms. Photo: AFP
The epicentre of the storm was at Romas-sur-Isere where streets were turned into raging torrents.
The hail shattered car windshields and severely damaged the roofs of dozens of homes, including smashing the sunlight on the roof of a gymnasium where a judo competition was being held.
In the neighbouring Haute-Savoie region, a 51-year-old German woman was a killed after a tree fell on her camper during the storm.
Rescue workers responded to hundreds of calls for help and officials said 10 people were injured.
"Weather episodes as violent as this are quite rare, and I've never seen one like it in this area," said Lieutenant-Colonel Herve Gabion of the fire brigade for the Drome department.
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