September 7th 2022 started out like any normal day. I did some baking, gardening and even took some photos of blossoms etc on my fruit trees in the morning. I admired the quandongs that were coming along nicely. Phil arrived home from work the previous evening and he had heard there could be some hail kicking around with thunderstorms, so he put the 4wd away in the shed.
At about 4pm the rumbling of thunder and flashes of lightening started. Now usually when we hear of a hail warning, nothing really comes of it, just a couple of small spits of ice is all we get. This type of storm is totally unheard of in this area. But this one was different, its the worse I have experienced in my lifetime. It was like a tornado when it passed through. I started to cry when I saw all the destruction unfolding outside. I feared for all my veggies and fruit trees and the animals, especially birds that were in their nests sitting on eggs. I did rescue one bird who was slightly injured by hail from sitting on her nest. I brought her inside overnight and kept her warm with a hot water bottle. The next morning she was fine so I released her.
I do not think there will be much fruit for us to preserve this year. The apricot tree was almost in full bloom as was the nectarine. Although after wandering around the patch this morning there are more blossoms on the trees and the bees are happily buzzing around them. Isn't nature wonderful?
The good news is we have had quite a bit of rain following the storm and the trees are slowly coming back. Even though the fruit yield will probably be smaller this season, I am counting my blessings that the house is still standing firm. The roof is damaged though and will need replacing. Solar panels are all good, but solar hot water tank on roof needs replacing also because it is full of dents.
I'll let the photos tell most of the story.
The storm lasted about 20 minutes and this is what was left behind.
The aftermath the next day...
The spider lilies took a big hit. They have now turned yellow and I think I may lose them.
As they looked today...
That really is a lot of damage done in twenty minutes
ReplyDeleteI can’t believe you got so much hail.
We are still wet here. We have had a few days of no rain but the paddocks are so wet it will take weeks of no rain to dry out totally
I hope your insurance pays out quick and you can get all the work done soon
The weather has been so weird this year. We didn't have much rain over winter but now it doesn't know how to stop. It is still cold, not like normal spring. The plants are sluggish to grow. I hope our insurance pays out also, we are yet to get an answer.
DeletexTania
Tania, we had a massive hail storm last hear but thankfully the hail was small. Lots of our many bromeliads were damaged but they have come good since then. I hope you can salvage some plants. It is so heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteIt is heart-breaking. You just never know with mother nature, when she will strike. I am pleased to see things slowly coming back, although the leaves seem a little deformed, hopefully they all come good.
DeletexTania
Hi Tania, So sorry that you have so much damage. Heart breaking to see so much of your hard work destroyed. Very scary being in the heart of the storm. Hopefully, when the sun shines and everything dries out and warms up you will see lots of new growth. Nature is very resilient. (and so are gardeners) Thinking of you and your garden. All the best ..... Jo
ReplyDeleteHi Jo, so grateful that nature is indeed resilient. All will be good, just a bump in the road. My veggie garden is looking good, will post pics of that soon.
DeleteHave a great week!
xTania
Hi Tania Sorry to see all the damage your place took from hail storm. Glad you are ok and hope now its passed that mother nature blesses you with fine weather to dry everything out and rejuvenate all your plants. Look forward to seeing how you turn your lawn into productive garden in the coming months. Cheryl
ReplyDeleteHi Cheryl. I am still undecided about the lawn area. I went to see a lady that grows and sells herbs in a nearby town on the weekend, so now I am thinking about making it a herbal garden because hers was so inspiring. I could combine veggies and herbs, we will see. I have to work out the best way to dispose of the lawn area, am thinking of covering and smothering with something. Spring is very late this year, we are nearly at the end of September and it is still cold. We need some nice sunshine to warm everything up for growth.
DeleteHave a lovely week,
xTania
Gosh Tania ... how scary for you .. how mother nature can frighten us at times! I am sure insurance will cover you for this - what a lot to clean up. I am thinking that perhaps as things warm up & as spring kicks in, alot of your things will recover. I am not sure if this would be the case if we were going in to winter & cold - but perhaps the spring sunshine will help things to come back to life. I sure hope so . xx
ReplyDeleteHi Julie, I too hope Spring hurries along so the warm weather can help heal the plants. There are some signs of life showing which is a blessing. I feel things will return to normal, but it will take a little time.
DeleteYou never really know what mother nature will throw, this was so out of the blue!
xTania
Gosh that was a destructive hail storm and as you say all over in 20 minutes which is good it didn't go longer however the damage is extensive.
ReplyDeleteYes Kathy, we need to count our blessings that the storm didn't go longer, otherwise the result may have been much worse.
DeletexTania
I regularly check your blog and noticed that you haven’t posted anything for several months and hoped all was well. But this post is awful. Can’t imagine such terrible hail and rain to do so much damage. You must feel very upset and disappointed after all the work you put into your section. Do hope insurance covers most of your damage and losses. Thinking of you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for checking in on me and for your kind words.
DeletexTania
Holy cow Tania! I knew it was bad but I didnt really fully understand just how bad. I am so glad you made it through and that the garden is coming back for you.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jane. Yes the storm was really bad and it will take time for things to recover, but at least our house is okay for now, until we can get the roof replaced. The builders here are run off their feet after this event! Businesses and houses damaged everywhere!
DeletexTania
Wow, that was a shocking hail storm! All that damage...really heart breaking, Tania. But God can bring new life, and I am praying that's exactly what He does in your garden. May you see great blessings from His loving hand. Hugs, Jennifer
ReplyDeleteThank you for your prayers Jennifer, they will be very much appreciated. I must remember to be thankful even when times are tough. The garden has been damaged, but it will come back in time. Some plants are getting tiny shoots and that is a real blessing. The apricot tree has produced more blossom also.
DeletexTania