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Over 200 households devastated by hailstorm in Tororo
72-year-old Berita Auyat looks at her house in the aftermath of a hailstorm in Tororo District on October 5, 2023. PHOTO/JOSEPH OMOLLO
What you need to know:
- By press time on Friday morning, no fatalities had been reported.
Over 200 households in Mogodes Town Council in Tororo District are devastated after a hailstorm ravaged their gardens on Thursday.
The most affected cells include Orago ‘’A and B’’, Kiporo, Ginnry, Kipirio, Agogomiti, Kamarinyang North and South in Ginnery and Tuba wards.
The Orago ‘’B’’ cell LC1 chairperson Yafesi Okiror says that the hailstorm lasted about two hours.
“Several acres of crops like beans, banana plantations, maize, soya beans and potatoes, among others, have been razed,” he noted.
Okiror expressed fears that the magnitude of the destruction is likely to trigger food shortages and affect livelihood earnings since most of the crops were almost ready for harvest.
For 72-year-old Berita Auyat whose only house roof was blown off, life will be difficult.
‘’Whereas my life was not affected, I don’t have where to start from because as we talk now, I slept in the house of my grandchildren therefore I appeal for support from government and other well-wishers to come for my rescue,’’ she said.
The Gombolola Security Officer for Magodes Town Council, Timothy Emelait, observed that most of the affected families have been left homeless and are resident in churches.
But Magodes Town Council vice chairperson Aurthur Nyapidi told Monitor that he is liaising with village leaders to assess the magnitude of the destruction so that they submit it to district authorities for consideration in food relief.
‘’Our people did not have good harvest last season and it’s this season that they had expected to have a relatively good and reasonable harvest but with this destruction, they are going to be exposed to food shortage,’’ he noted.
By press time on Friday morning, no fatalities had been reported.
‘’We are grateful that no life was claimed. However, the affected people need support in terms of material like iron sheets, food and planting materials to help restore hope in them,’’Nyapidi said.
Mid 2023, authorities warned that some parts of Uganda were likely to suffer devastating rains.
