Severe hailstorms pelted the high plains of Murcia, Spain, in early May, resulting in extensive damage to crops in the region.
What’s happening?
The onslaught began on May 10, according to the Watchers, and continued for multiple days, causing over €80 million ($89.9 million) in damages over nearly 100,000 acres of farmland. Areas around Yecla and Jumilla were the most affected, with several farms losing their entire harvests.
The hailstorms also damaged grape vines in local vineyards and trees in fruit and nut groves. The Coordinator of Farmers and Ranchers Organizations estimates that farmers will see roughly €39 million ($43.9 million) in losses next season.
Why are extreme hailstorms important?
Hailstorms and other severe weather patterns are becoming more common around the world, from Mainland Europe to the United States.
Climatologists say these powerful storms occur due to wild temperature swings caused by rising global temperatures. The rapid overheating of the planet acts as “steroids” to these storms, making them more powerful and volatile.
Not only can they leave severe damage in their wake, but they also drastically affect the local food supply. Murcia contributes 17% of Spain’s overall fruit and pulse exports, and the damage caused by these recent hailstorms has disrupted supply chains.
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Not only will farmers have to handle repairs and replanting, but they will also lose out on profit as they rebuild. Plus, local agricultural workers find themselves out of work since there are fewer crops to maintain and harvest.
With the hail comes heavy rainfall, as well, so in drier regions like Murcia, four inches of rainfall in dry riverbeds contribute to soil erosion and runoff of fertilizer and pesticides these farms use to grow crops. The excess water on certain plants can even cause root rot, which results in even more trouble for their owners.
What’s being done about the damage?
When the storms cleared, the community banded together to help with recovery efforts on the damaged land. Volunteers lent a hand repairing fences and irrigation systems to get farms back running, while local fire departments cleared roads of debris to keep access routes available in more rural areas.
Some farmers were even able to salvage some lost crops through other avenues, like jam production. But for many in the region, namely wine and olive suppliers who often don’t insure their crops, these farms are one bad weather season away from ruin.
While there have been several technological advancements to predict severe weather before it happens, ultimately, preventing these types of disasters in the future will take drastic, global decreases in harmful carbon pollution to remedy violent temperature swings that cause them.
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