At around 5:35 p.m. on May 13, Armenia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs’ 911 crisis management center received an alert about intense hail in the village of Chachkan, part of the enlarged Mets Ayrum community, and several other villages.

According to Shamshyan.com, the hail lasted about five minutes and caused extensive damage to agricultural fields, orchards, and residential rooftops.

The affected areas include grain fields, vegetable crops, and fruit-bearing trees. Many villagers who had pinned their hopes on this year’s harvest are now facing severe damage and uncertainty. In some communities, up to 70-80% of the crops were destroyed, raising concerns about significant socio-economic repercussions.