DAMAGE MEASURED IN MILLIONS, STORM DESTROYED A MAN'S ALMOST COMPLETED HOUSE

NEVESINJE, JULY 22 /SRNA/ - The city center, the suburban settlement of Lapčevine, and the villages of Batkovići, Bojišta and Bratač, which are known for their agricultural production, suffered the greatest damage in the storm that hit Nevesinje.

Bojan Ivković from Bojišta suffered the greatest damage, and he said that the storm destroyed his almost finished family house, auxiliary facilities and crops. "A strong storm came with groats. Everything has been flattened to the ground - facilities, cars, grain, potato,... One cannot describe the amount of damage. All bricks on the house are broken," Ivković said through tears. The Mayor of the Nevesinje municipality Milenko Avdalović said that yesterday's storm hit the hardest in the areas where the largest number of inhabitants are engaged in agriculture, and that the consequences are catastrophic. "We are witnessing huge damage, first of all on orchards and vegetable crops, but there is also significant damage to buildings, auxiliary facilities, residential buildings, while in the city, cars suffered enormous damage," Avdalović said after touring the field. He stated that the Crisis Staff of the Nevesinje municipality met this morning, and formed a commission to assess the damage. The commission will visit every household and farm, while a counter has been opened in the municipal building where citizens can report the damage. Avdalović pointed out that the local administration is in constant contact with the Government of Republika Srpska, but that the municipality alone cannot repair the consequences of such a natural disaster. "The municipality of Nevesinje cannot find a solution to this problem. Neither could much larger and wealthier cities and states. The damage is in the millions," said Avdalović, who today held a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Anđelka Kuzmić. It is expected that the Government of Republika Srpska will help in remediating the consequences, especially when it comes to agricultural producers, but he emphasized that one should not expect to be fully compensated because that is not possible. He pointed out the importance of people continuing to engage in agriculture. The head of the municipality and Minister Kuzmić visited the village of Bojišta, where they talked with the locals whose households suffered great damage. Local resident Milan Samardžija says that almost the entire plum orchard, vegetables, and auxiliary facilities were destroyed on his property. "According to my estimation, the plum orchard was destroyed by about 90 percent. The problem is not only the crop, but also the trees. The vegetables were completely destroyed, buildings and barns were destroyed. The storm lasted ten minutes and during that time destroyed everything we had created for years," said Samardžija. He added that it will only be known after an expert assessment whether the orchard can be restored. "If they help us - thanks, and if not, we will fight. Some of my neighbors live exclusively from agriculture and it will be the hardest for them," said Samardzija.