Farmers continue to rebuild a year after hailstorm declared 'insurance disaster'

A year after a freak hailstorm, farmers in parts of South Australia are still counting their losses.

Key points:Farmers say they had no been warned of the intense thunderstorm cell, which affected parts of SA, Victoria and TasmaniaReported crop losses range from 20-100%Total damage to crops and infrastructure estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars

The storm cell of October 28 last year was declared an "insurance disaster" by the Insurance Council of Australia, with over 60,000 claims in three states.

Heathvale Wines owner Trevor March said he lost 100% of his Eden Valley harvest almost instantly.

"I lost about $120,000 in seven minutes...and we don't have hail insurance, it's prohibitively expensive," he said.

The storm made the properties look like a winter wonderland.(Supplied: Trevor March)

As he initially tried to smile and bear it , Mr. March said he later realized the disaster had shocked him.

"Cel had a mental effect [on me]," he said. said.

"And then that afternoon we had these high winds. Everything that had been bruised in the morning broke in the afternoon.< /p>

"It looked like someone ran through a combine and ransacked the place."

It has been a year since an intense hailstorm damaged several properties and wineries in the Barossa Valley. (Supplied: Trevor March)

Slow recovery

Laughing Jack Wines owner Shawn Kalleske said he was still repairing his property in the Barossa Valley year after the hail wiped out 50% of his crop.

"We've kind of just hobbled for the last 12 months," he said.

The sixth-generation farmer said he was bottling wine when the storm hit.

"I thought, 'Is this hail ? Surely not. I was not aware of any predictions," he said.