Flood disaster in Russia: River Urals crosses critical brand

Flood disaster in Russia: River Urals crosses critical brand

The flood situation in Russia in the south of the Ural Mountains is increasing. The city of Orenburg saw the Urals river on Wednesday morning to increase at 9.78 meters, which is above the critical brand. Experts predict a further increase in water by 30 to 70 centimeters. In Orenburg, more than 12,800 houses and 14,900 garden plots are flooded, which meant that over 7,000 people were evacuated.

The city of Orsk in the Orenburg area is particularly badly affected by the floods where dams broke. Neighboring regions such as the Kurgan area in Southwest Siberia also fight with increasing floods, which is due to massive snow and ice melt. The population demands a faster reaction from the authorities, since the help is perceived as inadequate, which prompted President Putin to strengthen police patrols to prevent looting. Critics complain about the lack of preparation of the government for spring floods and emphasize a repeated unpreparedness of the government on natural disasters.

The cause of the floods lies in the strong snow and ice melt in the Ural Mountains, accompanied by rainfall and dam breaks. Orsk was most affected by the floods, but there was a slight decline in the water level there on Wednesday. In addition, adjacent areas also reported floods in Kazakhstan, with 96,000 people being temporarily brought to safety.