Heavy Rain & Hail Hits Georgia

Saturday’s heavy rain and hail led to problems in the capital and other regions of Georgia. Georgian emergency service 112 said that rain entered the ground floors of a number of residential buildings in the districts of Gldani and Tsereteli.

The streets were flooded in Tbilisi and Gldani, and the Mukhiani and Didi Digomi districts were hit by a hailstorm which lasted several minutes. Residents of these districts reported property damage.

The residents of Rustavi reported that hail damaged the windows of their houses and their cars. Heavy hail also damaged vineyards and agricultural lands in Georgia’s main wine-making region, Kakheti. Giorgitsminda village was the most affected, after a 20-minute hailstorm nearly destroyed agricultural lands there.

Due to the rain, a landslide occurred on a section of the Tskneti-Akhaldaba road and blocked traffic. Cleaning works were launched shortly after the rain stopped and the road has since been reopened.

The Emergency Management Agency reported that due to bad weather, 437 people throughout Georgia called the agency, 401 of whom were Tbilisi-based.

Weather forecasters believe the unstable weather and rain will continue for several days, but no storm is expected.

By Thea Morrison