A storm with rain, hail and wind gusts affected areas of four departments in the Eastern Region on Tuesday, September 29, damaging homes, rural facilities and power lines. The phenomenon lasted about 40 minutes on average, according to Arsenio Zárate, minister of the National Emergency Secretariat (SEN), Paraguay’s emergency-management agency, in an interview with Radio 1000.
Incidents were reported mainly in Caaguazú, Caazapá and San Pedro, as well as in an area of Cordillera. In Caaguazú, flooding also affected small-scale producers. The SEN is working with municipalities and departmental governments to assist families whose homes were damaged.
Zárate said wind strength was the main cause of the damage. The minister said SEN assistance is focused on affected families, while support for rural producers falls mainly to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG).
In Bergthal Colony, in the district of Dr. Juan Eulogio Estigarribia, known as Campo 9, the wind tore the roof off a poultry house that held about 50,000 chicks. Local accounts said nearly all the birds had died, but the extent of the losses was still being assessed. Ten cattle were also reported killed after being struck by lightning.
Fallen trees, loose cables and power outages were also reported. No injuries were reported, and the damage assessment in the communities was ongoing.
A weather warning issued early Wednesday, September 30, forecast further severe storms in the hours ahead. The forecast called for moderate to heavy rain and thunderstorms, moderate to strong winds, and a high probability of hail in areas of the north and east of the Eastern Region and the north of the Western Region, including northern San Pedro, Amambay, northern Canindeyú, northeastern Presidente Hayes and Alto Paraguay.