Floods in North Caucasus

The North and South Caucasus has been flooded for two days. The Hydrometeorological Center has recently reported that heavy rains, hail and mud descents were expected on June 4-5th in the North Caucasus Federal District and South-Eastern Okrug. EMERCOM also warned residents about bad weather in the region. In addition, the emergency services worked in high alert regime due to hail and rainstorms that usually damage power lines and flood streets of cities and villages, leaving local residents without electricity and drinking water.

According to the Director of the Hydrometeorological Center, Roman Vilfand, it is expected that this weekend’s weather will threaten peoples’ lives of people and their activities. In particular, thunderstorms, hail and wind up to 20 meters per second is expected in the Krasnodar Territory. Wind may increase up to 23 meters per second in Adygeya, and up to 25 meters per second in the Karachay-Cherkessia. ‘‘25 meters per second is dangerous wind that can pulled small trees and destroy dilapidated buildings," he explained.

It is worth noting that while all unfavorable forecasts by the Hydrometeorological Center and EMERCOM were exact. Thus, today the rescue department released an emergency message in order to call residents of the Babayurt and Kizlyar districts of Dagestan for vigilance, as the Terek river may burst its banks due to heavy rains and flood lowlands.

Despite the fact that Sochi, the Olympic capital stood the test of rains, today EMERCOM employees evacuated local residents of the Thagapsh village in the Lazarev district with the help of helicopters, as the town was separated from other territory due to mudslides.

"Transport connection was disrupted with the villages of Tatyanovka, Thagapsh and Marino in the Lazarev district after several mudslides. 273 people and 97 units of equipment, including 94 people and 22 units of equipment from the Emergency Situations Ministry are involved in clearing up the road," EMERCOM unforms.

Armenia also has suffered due to the weather. An active cyclone in Armenia from the Black Sea led to strong thunderstorms and heavy rains in all regions of the country.

At the moment, the most difficult situation is in North Ossetia. It has been raining for two days running. Vladikavkaz, the capital of the republic, was ‘attacked’ by hen's egg size hail.

In the evening on June 5th the storm and pouring rains came to the Stavropol Territory. According to EMERCOM, there is a possibility of an abnormality of drainage systems, worsening of traffic conditions, as well as damage of roofs and glass buildings.