TURA: Several back to back thunderstorms lashed the state, including Garo Hills, over the past one week and have caused damage to roof-tops of several homes across the region.
Late Sunday night storm that hit the Garo Hills region blew away tin-roofs and damaged a few schools and several homes made from thatch and bamboo in many places in West and North Garo Hills districts.
Damage to several homes were reported from the Dainadubi region of North Garo Hills and authorities had to lift restriction on hardware stores to allow people to purchase tin sheets for their damaged roofs on Monday. Under the lockdown, only essential services such as supply of food items and medicines are permitted and people are restricted from coming out onto public places unless permitted.
“Most of the damage was in Dainadubi area and there were also a few cases reported from Tapa Darengchi area also,” informed local authorities.
In West Garo Hills, the storm had an impact in Anogre where several arecanut plantations were damage while a lower primary school at Derikgre village had its entire roof top blown away.
The annual pre-monsoon rainfall or ‘summer showers’ occur from March to April and their intensity can range from light showers to heavy and persistent thunderstorms. These rains greatly influence human activities because of the control the rains have on crops that are culturally significant like mangoes and coffee.
It is also a dangerous weather pattern because many such storms are accompanied by hail, which destroys standing crops, and lightning strikes which have led to human loss in previous years.
