20 August 2012, 14:00
Downpours with hail cause destruction in Kakheti and Tbilisi suburbs
The today's night heavy rain with that struck Georgia caused serious harm to some regions of Kakheti and resort suburbs of Tbilisi, said the emergency service of the Georgian capital.
According to the service, the rain with hail lasted for half an hour and in some settlements of the Gurjaani District broke roofs and even walls of houses. As a result, 50 percent of crops have been destroyed; and many fruit trees in orchards were damaged.
"The hail was so strong and big that instantly broke away the roof of our house; in the morning we saw that the car in the yard was also damaged," a local resident said on air of "Rustavi-2" TV Company.
A special commission has been set up to calculate the damage caused by the calamity, said Giorgi Sibashvili, the deputy governor of Kakheti.
The rain with hail also hit resort suburbs of Tbilisi Kojori and Kiketi, where ground floors of many houses were flooded. All night rescuers worked in the area; and the emergency service received more than 100 calls from Tbilisi, mostly from the districts, where there are houses in emergency condition. Fire fighters had to pump water out of basements throughout the night, the RIA "Novosti" reports.
