ADAMS COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)-- Several areas in the Midstate reported hail from Friday's storm, but one orchard in Adams County took a hard hit. The damage from this storm was so bad in certain areas…it may cause shortages in grocery stores.
“From there we'll just keep our fingers crossed to have a better year next year so,” Terra Slaybaugh, Food Safety Manager from Mt Ridge Farms said.
Mt Ridge farms were one of the many places in the Midstate feeling the effects of Friday's strong storms.
"The morning before we were looking at our phones GOING in this evening just one of those you know rain storms you know coming and going We kept hearing this loud Banging on a roof and we just when I walked outside just like never went overwhelming just not even being able to do anything about it it's just," said Blake Slaybaugh, Vice President for Mt Ridge Farms.
A hail storm passed right through their part of Adams County for 6 minutes, destroying millions of apples in the orchard.
"We just drove around, looked at all the apples and just you know disbelief. You know we never had a farm or never had a hailstorm you know hit all seven of our nine farms. Yeah a little here a little there, but never had a widespread you know hailstorm you know," said Blake.
Hail the size of tennis balls went through the orchard which was already struggling during harvest season.
"This year there's a lot of been a lot of damage prior even to this hail storm so getting those markets is going to be extremely toughest this year," said Slaybaugh.
And with only 90-100 acres of apples left, the loss is almost unimaginable
"It's pretty devastating it's a huge financial loss because again out of you know 6-7 hundred acres that we have we're looking at a lot that we weren't being able to harvest or at least sell fresh which is the high paying dollar apples," said Terra.
With the harvest season ending in September, the orchard is just hoping for a better season next year.
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