(The Watchers) – Violent hailstorms swept through southeastern France on June 15 and 16, 2019, causing significant infrastructural and agricultural damage. One person was killed in the town of Taninges, Haute-Savoie department of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The storm brought winds in excess of 100 km/h (62 mph), heavy rain and large hail, causing widespread and, in many cases, catastrophic damage. The epicenter of the sudden storm which struck Saturday afternoon, June 15, was at Romas-sur-Isere where streets quickly transformed into raging rivers.
Farmers reported hail the size of golf balls and up to tennis balls decimated their orchards and vineyards. In some cases, entire harvests were destroyed. A farmer from La Roche-de-Glun in the Drome department, south of Lyon, told AFP his entire harvest (apricots, peaches and cherries) was ruined. 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 said Sunday. “It’s unthinkable that farmers would be forced into bankruptcy because of this.” READ MORE
