A fierce storm pummeled Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos and the northern quarter of Chapala shortly after midnight Saturday, July 28.
The storm dumped huge hailstones that damaged scores of vehicles and more than 300 homes and business properties. One accidental death and numerous minor injuries were reported.
The intense downpour released congealed ice as large as golf balls that hit Ixtlahuacán during a dance concert being held in the central plaza. Many in the audience of 3,000 took cover under a giant canvas canopy that was ripped to shreds by the hailstones, leaving them with no protection.
A young mother who was outdoors when the storm struck inadvertently smothered the three-month old baby she wasbreast feeding as she ran for shelter.
The Chapala-Ajijic bypass was closed for more than two hours while local Civil Protection officials cleared a 30-centimeter-deep icy carpet covering the roadway. Fallen trees and minor flooding affected several neighborhoods.