NIBULON’s elevator complex for shipments of grain and oilseeds of “Zolotonis’ka” branch was also in the center of bad weather.
NIBULON’s General Director Oleksiy Vadaturskyy commented on the situation,
“Elemental meteorological phenomena in the form of a hurricane and heavy shower with hail, unfortunately, did a lot of harm to our facility. According to meteorologists, the wind speed reached 32 m/s; it is classified as a hurricane.
I am pleased to note that nobody of the employees of our branch was injured. At the same time, their homes were damaged considerably. Therefore, first of all, we provided them with financial assistance so that they could restore their houses.
As for our branch, I can say that the main production facilities: a headhouse, lower galleries, a transformer substation, power distribution points, grain receiving lines from road transport, lines for grain shipments on rail transport and a laboratory complex, utilities (sewerage systems and water supply) are in working order; they remained undamaged.
Yesterday, the energy supply of our company was provided due to backup power supply, and today the centralized power supply has been restored.
To my great regret, the empty silos that had already been prepared for receiving grain of a new yield were significantly damaged and partially destroyed. The hurricane had been raging in the territory of our facility for more than 5 minutes, but it hit the silos twice. As it has already been reported by the media, this was enough to tear some of them  down and throw them a few thousand meters to the railway of Palmira Station (Odesa railway), which lies near the territory of our branch. As a result, the traffic of freight and passenger trains at the segment of Hrebinka Station – Taras Shevchenko Station was suspended. Upon restoration works, traffic was restored approximately in 10 hours. In my opinion, if metal containers had been filled with grain, they would not have been damaged.
All the grain stored at the branch was not damaged. The agricultural products are being shipped on rail transport and transferred to other company’s terminals for export according to schedule.
The property of this facility is insured. Our specialists are working with the specialists of the insurance company on damage assessment and compensation. There is mutual understanding.
Unfortunately, no one is insured against such circumstances. It can happen to anyone. The facility that borders on ours also suffered losses: the production facilities are partially destroyed, the agricultural equipment is damaged. The fact is that the territory of this facility is large, so the wind of any speed had enough territory to hit. Going around the territory, I saw the trees unrooted. In fact, I saw such phenomena only on TV or heard from eyewitnesses who have watched the elements from their windows.
This event became another challenge for our company. But the facility will be restored and will work in a regular mode within two months. Moreover, we will modernize it and will introduce new technologies there were not before, as the facility was built almost ten year ago. Undoubtedly, the modernization will be held not at the expense of the insurance company. The team of the branch supports this decision.
Agricultural producers we cooperate with and who sell their products to this elevator also reacted with understanding. They will deliver grain to other terminals of the company located in this region until the elevator is restored”.