“Completely clueless producers. This is how the mayor of Espelette (Basque Country), Jean-Marie Iputcha, describes the dismay of farmers who lost everything after a violent storm on Tuesday, as reported by France Info.
Tuesday afternoon, the Southwest region was hit by a stormy episode, marked by hailstones ranging from 5 to 7 centimeters. The Basque village of Espelette was particularly affected. To the south of the town, the pepper fields have been ravaged. According to the mayor, the producers “have lost all their crops 100%, there is nothing left”.
Espelette at the end of the afternoon
Jean-Marie Iputcha has already announced that he will “obviously” ask the State to declare the area a natural disaster “so that these Espelette pepper producers can receive compensation through their insurance”.
Regarding a possible shortage of chilli, the mayor was reassuring, recalling that “there will be” since 200 producers are spread over 10 municipalities.
The storm, however, only lasted “about 20 minutes” in the afternoon of Tuesday, according to the elected official who testifies: “It was really the apocalypse, it was all white. He said he saw, in some places, “nearly 30 centimeters” of hailstones.
In addition to destroying chili crops, a tree crashed into a car near the village school. No injuries are reported.
Espelette is not the only town to have experienced damage. In Cambo-les-Bains, car parks, schools, Red Cross premises and the pediment were flooded. More serious in Moissac, Tarn-et-Garonne, a 69-year-old man was hospitalized in absolute emergency after a tree fell on his veranda.
