Hail Damages Barley Crops In Wyoming

Farmers around Powell, Wyo. say hail from a violent storm last week damaged or destroyed barley and other crops.

The storm brought hail up to a half-inch in diameter, about a half inch of rain and 50 mph winds. It hit just before the barley harvest when the grain is especially vulnerable.

Terry Faxon told the Powell Tribune that the dry seed heads waiting to be harvested can break easily under hail. She and her husband lost about 30 percent of their barley crop north of Powell.

Bill Cox estimates that he lost between one-third and one-half of his 750 acres of barley about a week before he planned to harvest it. On top of that, lightning struck a transformer, causing electrical damage inside his home.

“To add insult to injury,” Cox said with a chuckle.

The other crops damaged by the hail include sunflowers and beets though farmers said the beets, which are can grow new leaves, could bounce back.