When the sky turned white: Families in Armenia rebuild after a devastating hailstorm

On 6 June 2026 a severe hailstorm struck Stepanavan and neighbouring communities in Armenia's northern Lori region. This storm lasting less than 20 minutes damaged more than 1,600 households in and around Stepanavan.   For people like Manik, Kristina and Hasmik, recovery begins with something basic: being able to keep the rain out of their homes. At 76, Manik lives alone in Stepanavan, a small city surrounded by the green hills of Armenia’s northern Lori region.  When the hail began on 6 June, there was little she could do but wait.  Large hailstones punched holes through her roof. Rain followed, spilling into the house through the damaged roof and ageing wooden windows. Water spread across the walls and ceiling.  “I just stood there and waited for someone to help me,” Manik recalls. “I needed someone to calm me down.”  The storm lasted only 20 minutes, but it was extraordinary in its intensity. Hailstones measuring between four and six centimetres struck Stepanavan and neighbouring communities, damaging roofs, windows, greenhouses, vehicles, agricultural land and public infrastructure.  By 10 June, around 1,680 households had been identified a...