Hailstorm Hits Three Districts in Lanny Jaya, Papua, Causing Crop Failure for Farmers
A hailstorm struck three districts in Lanny Jaya Regency, Papua Pegunungan. The phenomenon left residents’ homes and yards white, as if covered in snow.
The hailstorm also has the potential to cause crop failures for farmers in the three affected districts.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in Wamena reported that the hailstorm occurred on Sunday (16/8) at approximately 01:16 WIT. Three districts were affected by the event.
“The affected areas are Kuyawage District, Goa Balim (Gowaloem), and West Wano,” said BMKG Wamena forecaster Gema Reksa Ramadhani on Wednesday (19/8).
The hailstorm that hit the three districts in Lanny Jaya Regency was also reported to have damaged residents’ crops. Lanny Jaya Regent Aletinus Yigibalom said the natural phenomenon has resulted in crop failures for farmers.
“Crops are damaged, agriculture has failed to harvest,” Aletinus said in his statement on Wednesday afternoon.
Aletinus said he has established an Emergency Response Team led by Assistant II of the Lanny Jaya Regional Secretary to handle the matter. Nevertheless, Aletinus did not hesitate to state that his administration also needs assistance from the Papua Pegunungan provincial government and the central government.
“We need full support from the province and the centre. The team must work quickly and accurately and report the results in stages,” he said.
The team has reportedly moved to Kuyawage, West Wano, and Goa Baliem districts, which are the affected areas. Aletinus said this hailstorm is very different from previous occurrences.
“This hailstorm is different from before, not merely frost, but it destroyed crops to the point where they cannot be harvested,” said Aletinus.
He said the emergency response team is currently gathering complete data so that the government can issue disaster management policies. He assessed that this disaster will have a negative impact on the community’s food security for up to one year.
Aletinus stressed that his administration will work as hard as possible to help the community. He also committed to ensuring the government is present among the residents.
“Thank you to the community members who reported this incident directly to us. The government will move quickly. God will help and protect us all,” Aletinus explained.
Previously, Gema from BMKG explained that the hailstorm in Lanny Jaya was triggered by significant convective cloud growth due to the interaction of regional and local atmospheric factors. The mountainous topography of Lanny Jaya also triggered the growth of Cumulonimbus clouds.
“In short, the atmospheric conditions in Lanny Jaya at that time supported the growth of Cumulonimbus clouds, which were the main cause of the hailstorm,” he stressed.