Heavy hail strikes Georgia’s main wine-making region

Heavy hail and wind has destroyed dozens of hectares of vineyards, watermelon and corn gardens in Georgia’s main wine-making region Kakheti.

Farmers in the Kvareli region today said their harvest was 100 percent destroyed and urged the Government for help.

In addition roofs were ripped off several houses in Sanavardo village.

The Governor of Kakheti Irakli Shiolashvili noted that a corresponding Commission would count the scale of the damage, after which the loss would be automatically compensated.

The Gurjaani region also suffered heavily in last night’s storm; 25 residential houses were flooded in Akhasheni village.The heavy rainfall saw the Akhasheni River to rise and flood one part of the village.

In addition, debris brought by the river blocked the railway passing through Akhasheni. Special Forces have already cleaned the railroad.

The heavy hail also reached several villages in Telavi last night, causing damage to Naparauli, Kindoli, Vanta and Akura. The hail was accompanied by heavy wind, which broke off tree branches onto the Telavi-Lopota highway.

Rescuers and Local Government officials were mobilised at the site. After being temporarily closed, the road to Lopota has reopened.