As you may know from my last post, yesterday Eyre Peninsula suffered the worst hail storm in most people's memory. There were reports of hailstones the size of golf balls and some the size of tennis balls. Now that's a big chunk of ice falling out of the sky!
It was amazing to stand at the window and watch the world turn white. The football oval at the school looked like it was covered in snow. This is not something we are accustomed to seeing!
I spoke to Kym (who was shearing and said the noise was deafening inside a shearing shed) after the storm front had passed and he estimated that we had suffered approximately 30% crop loss due to hail damage.
When I got home we went for a bit of a look around. And we are thinking now it's more like 50%. But as I said yesterday, for us at least, all is not lost. Our crop is insured for $300 per tonne, and the price of wheat at the moment is closer to $200 so we may in fact be better off. But I'm hearing sad reports that there are several farmers in our community who either weren't insured against hail damage, or weren't insured for enough. Insurance is expensive (as I'm sure you well know) and after four years of drought it's often the first expense to be cut back on. I'm so glad we didn't decide to do that.
The picture below shows where our wheat heads are now. On the ground. Not where they belong!
And our garden didn't fair very well either. The tree below had leaves in the morning. They are now all over the ground. I wonder if Scott will be interested in earning some extra pocket money by raking up the leaves!
Kym is upset by the crop loss....but he is really upset by the loss of his veggies! This was a lovely big cabbage....not anymore.
Kym is quite philosophical about it all. We might get away a bit earlier for our Christmas holiday this year, because harvest won't take very long!
We are ok. But I worry about those with little or no insurance. Please pray for these people, this could be the last straw for many of them.
5 valued opinions!:
So sad to hear about the loss of crops for you and many others.. the photos you placed on your blog were similar to those shown on the news last night and how sad!! Must be devastating but be thankful you could afford insurance and mourn with those who couldnt.
Even in hardship we can find things to be thankful for.. even those who dont know God..
Lynette
Stunned! So thankful you had insurance to cover (and perhaps come out ahead), but deeply saddened for those who did not...
O God, we cry out to you on behalf of these farmers who have suffered much over the past few years! May Your grace, love and provision be even bigger than the devastation of this storm. In Jesus' name, Amen
Thanks for your kind comments ladies....
Insurance assesor will be out to asses the damage in the next couple of days...I wonder if we can get a new cabbage!?
I think my heart aches for Kym in that way too... I'd be devastated to have my vegetables that I'd so lovingly tendered destroyed!
The cabbage picture made me gasp...
*lovingly tended
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