Hailstorm damages Valley apple, grape crops

A hailstorm in the Annapolis Valley Saturday afternoon damaged some crops just as they were nearing harvest.

Apples were dented and bruised at TapRoot Farms in Canard, outside Wolfville.

The damage is so severe the fruit is completely ruined and not marketable, Patricia Bishop, of TapRoot Farms, said.

She said it's too early to know how extensive the damage is to the Honeycrisp apples and the other vegetables in the farm.

Bishop said she did not have crop insurance.

The hail also damaged grape crops at Wellington Dyke Vineyards in Lower Canard.

Owner Rob McDowall estimated that about 20 to 25 per cent of his crop is ruined.

"Particularly vineyards, it's a lot of effort, and so you don't want your crop, just as it's about to start ripening, you don't want to have this kind of loss. So that's disappointing," McDowall said.

"But such is life. It's nature. You've got to sort of roll with the punches."

Wellington Dyke Vineyards is a small two-acre commercial vineyard that sells the grapes to local wineries.

McDowall said the thunder and lightning storm began at about 1 p.m. and lasted for several hours. His house also lost power.

The hail, along with sudden high winds, came in the span of about 10 minutes, he said.

McDowall estimated the hail only hit a small area between Canning and Port Williams.

A severe thunderstorm watch has been lifted for Kings County, but was still in effect for Lunenburg and Queens counties.