Farmers Face Severe Losses as Catastrophic Hailstorm Strike Zombo District

By Mike Rwothomio

A severe hydro meteorological disaster, characterized by torrential rainfall and a destructive hailstorm, struck Jupandindu ward in Padea town council, Zombo District, exacerbating the area’s vulnerability to food insecurity and potential famine on the evening of May 22, 2025.

This disaster caused widespread devastation to agricultural livelihoods, obliterating critical staple crops such as maize, beans, cassava, and avocado plantations.

 The affected areas, particularly the cells of Limu, Omva, and Awilli, experienced near-total crop failure, compounding the socio-economic and psychological impacts on local farmers.

 The destruction of these vital food sources has heightened the risk of famine, with hundreds of farmers facing acute food insecurity.

Melki Onyutha Orwothuwun, the LCIII Chairperson of Padea town council, described the crop damage as “immense” and issued an urgent appeal for intervention from the district disaster management committee and humanitarian organizations to mitigate the crisis.

Local farmers, through their leaders, have reported significant losses, leaving communities in a state of economic and psychological distress.

Historically, Zombo District benefited from dense vegetation cover, which provided a natural buffer against extreme weather events. However, since the early 2000s, rampant deforestation and depletion of forest reserves have increased the area’s exposure to disasters such as hailstorms, floods, and strong winds. This environmental degradation has amplified the impacts of climate-induced hazards, as noted by local environmentalists.

Denis Dongwa, Zombo’s Secretary for Production, and councilor Francis Bolingo, members of the production committee, instructed Padea leadership to compile a comprehensive disaster impact assessment report for submission to the committee for further action.

 Festus Ayikobua, the Resident District Commissioner of Zombo, committed to escalating the report to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to secure support for the affected communities.

The disaster follows a similar event in 2024, when torrential rains and hailstorms devastated Abanga sub-county, affecting the parishes of Serr and Pakadha, and destroying crops critical to local food security.

 The district disaster management committee has repeatedly raised concerns about inadequate funding, which hampers effective disaster preparedness and response, leaving communities increasingly vulnerable to recurring climate-related hazards.

In 2021, floods, landslides, and hailstorms affected multiple Ugandan  districts, including  , Kapchorwa, Sironko, Mbale, Bukedea, Kapelebyong, and Katakwi, with 17 districts reporting significant damage due to prolonged heavy rainfall. These events destroyed water facilities, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid.

Hailstorms, characterized by solid precipitation in the form of ice balls, typically last less than 15 minutes but can cause severe damage to crops, buildings, and infrastructure, according to environmentalists.

 In Uganda, hailstorms have been identified as one of the seven priority hazards, alongside floods, droughts, landslides, lightning, windstorms, and earthquakes, according to the National Risk Atlas (2019).

The destruction of crops in Zombo in 2025 further elevates the risk of famine, particularly in rural areas reliant on subsistence agriculture.

According to the Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA), Uganda experiences two primary rainfall seasons: March-April-May (MAM) and September-October-November-December (SOND), with northern regions, including Zombo, often receiving substantial rainfall during June-July-August (JJA). In February 2025, UNMA reported dry conditions with high temperatures across most of Uganda, making the sudden onset of heavy rainfall and hailstorms in May particularly disruptive.