Saturday`s violent hailstorm and tornado has virtually wiped out all grape and vegetable crops in a 2-3km band extending from Yelta through Mourquong to Gol Gol North.

Damage and crop losses are likely to run into tens of millions of dollars with losses to the wine grape crop alone at $6 million, according to Murray Valley Winegrowers executive officer Mike Stone.

Peter Wilson’s wine grape and citrus property in Alcheringa Drive, north-west of Gol Gol, was devastated as the storm descended on Gol Gol North.

The southern edge of the storm also ripped through black box eucalypt woodland in a strip several hundred metres wide, parallel to Alcheringa Drive – anything north of Alcheringa Drive took the full brunt of the storm.

Dennis and Margot Mills’ horticutural property Ampelon, on the corner of Pitman Avenue and Gol Gol North Road, lost several large trees and was extensively damaged by the storm, but the trees sheltered grapevines bordering Gol Gol North Road, directly in the lee of the property.

Less than 100 metres south of Ampelon, vineyards were almost undamaged, but within a band extending at least 2km north of Alcheringa Drive, no vineyard or orchard escaped the storm’s destructive power.

The Dried Fruits Australia industry development officer said his son Michael was camping with his children on a sandbar on Walpolla­ Island, about 65km due west of Wentworth, when a powerful wind storm went through, depositing large branches on three vehicles parked beneath river red gums on a sandbar. It took a chainsaw to free the cars.

By the time it reached Yelta, the storm was generating large hailstones as it passed over Darren and Christine Argiro’s property.

The couple was inside the house and did not hear the storm approaching. “It caught us off guard – it was freakish,” Mrs Argiro said.

At its height, the wind and hail were coming “from all directions – my husband asked me if it was a tornado”, she said.

Source - http://www.sunraysiadaily.com.au/