Collapsed awnings, broken windows and bent tent poles. A heavy hailstorm caused havoc at mini campsite Hoeve de Bonte Kraai in Raamsdonk on Tuesday. “We were having a drink across the street with the neighbors and then all hell broke loose,” says one of the holidaymakers.
It looks like snow, but it’s mostly ice. A day after the hailstorm, there is still a white layer on the campsite. “It was intense. We have never experienced it like that, only once in Italy. It was as if we were on a skiing holiday. There was thirty centimeters in front of the tent,” says camping guest Sjors, while pointing out the holes in his awning.
A little further on are Luuk and his wife. “It was a very heavy hail storm. It went very hard and very fast,” says the woman, laughing like a farmer with a toothache. “There are cracks in the tent.”
“The best tent maker will no longer gain credit for this.”
Meanwhile, Luuk shows the holes in the roof and windows of their awning. “We continuously emptied the roof. And we quickly put our bird inside. He started whistling a little louder. And the dog had a bad time.”
The bird is now sitting quietly in its cage and the dog is walking around wagging its tail again. “It’s sad, but fortunately we don’t have anything. It’s just material,” Luuk puts into perspective. “We have written off the awning, because the best tent maker will no longer get credit for this. We are going to pack up and go home.”
They’re not the only ones going home. Other guests are also packing their things. “We were going to leave today anyway, so we had already removed the front and side of the awning yesterday,” says a man. “We were having a drink across the street from the neighbors and then all hell broke loose. It happened so quickly.”
“In fifteen minutes everything was destroyed, terrible.”
Due to the enormous hail, he and his wife were unable to return to their own caravan and awning. “According to my wife, it is torn at the seams, so hopefully it can still be repaired. But yes, the caravan and tent are 41 years old.”
The owner of the campsite, Mary de Bont, is also shocked by the shower. “It started getting dark, raining and hailing. In fifteen minutes everything was destroyed, terrible. It is really bizarre that it can happen in such a short time. We immediately went outside to help people,” she says, while she is cleaning up. Her grandson helps by removing the ice on the terrace with a snow plow.
In addition to lots of ice, there is also a lot of leaves on the terrace. “There is nothing left of the roof plane trees,” says Mary. “It was really a tragedy. Many people are going home and that is understandable if your awning is broken.”
