Flood in Russia: Ural Mountains fight with flood of centuries

Flood in Russia: Ural Mountains fight with flood of centuries

The current flood situation in Russia in the south of the Ural Mountains is continuously worsened. In Orenburg, the Urals river reached a stand of 9.78 meters, which is about half a meter above the critical brand. Experts predict that the water will increase by another 30 to 70 centimeters. As a result, a total of 12,800 houses and 14,900 garden plots were under water in Orenburg, which forced more than 7000 people to leave their houses.

The flood situation led to several villages without electricity because the substation had to be switched off. Furthermore, courts had to hire their business and museums had to bring their works of art to safety. The city of Orsk in the Orenburg region is particularly seriously affected, where dams broke and the city was flooded. In neighboring regions such as Kurgan in southwestern Siberia, enormous floods were also observed.

The dissatisfaction of the population with the authority reaction is evident in demands for more effective help. President Putin ordered an increased use of police patrols to prevent looting. Critics have been criticizing inadequate preparations for spring floods in Russia for years. Putin critic Julia Nawalnaja emphasizes the lack of willingness of the government to prepare for natural disasters.

The causes of the flood lie in the strong snow and ice melt in the Ural Mountains, precipitation and dam breaks at the city of Orsk. This region was most struck by the floods. Floods have also been reported in adjacent areas such as Kazakhstan, which has been temporarily brought to safety. Despite these measures, the situation remains threatening and continues to support the authorities.