30.05.2025 15:45
The blueberry producer Burçak Uysal, who shared footage of the hail that fell in the Serik district of Antalya on social media, saw all of her efforts go to waste. Burçak Uysal expressed that her products suffered serious damage due to hailstones the size of walnuts in the Yanköy neighborhood, saying, "We are experiencing a disaster here," while shedding tears.
Yesterday morning, a sudden heavy downpour and hailstorm in the Serik district negatively affected life in the area. Following the meteorological warnings, the rain caused significant damage in the neighborhoods of Eskiyörük, Yanköy, Tekke, Zırlankaya, and Pınarcık. Some greenhouses completely collapsed due to the rain, and many vehicles had their windows broken. The tomatoes and peppers grown in the collapsed greenhouses suffered great damage. The watermelon fields in the open area were also affected by the hail.
"HAIL FELL FOR 45 MINUTES"
Burçak Uysal, who made a statement regarding the disaster, said, "We experienced a huge hail disaster yesterday. While a normal hailstorm is expected to last a maximum of 15 minutes, our camera recordings captured approximately 45 minutes. The last record in the world was set in 1985 with 85 minutes. The disaster we experienced was of a magnitude that could be recorded worldwide. It lasted continuously for 40-45 minutes. The windows of our cars shattered, and people had a hard time moving to enclosed areas. We were afraid of experiencing losses. We have incredibly significant damage. Our hail nets collapsed. The fruit has suffered an incredible loss. This year, farmers have gone through a lot. We faced the risk of frost. Just when it was the most productive time, we went through such a disaster. I am grateful that there were no casualties," he said.
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT CONTINUES
On the other hand, 3 teams and 10 personnel from the District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry have started preliminary damage assessment work in the region. Inspections were conducted in areas identified as damaged, especially in the neighborhoods of Yanköy, Eskiyörük, Şatırlı, Töngüşlü, Zırlankaya, Büğüş, Tekke, and Alacami. It was also determined that fruit trees in the open areas were damaged, in addition to the greenhouses.