Critical flood in the south of Russia

Critical flood in the south of Russia

The flood situation in the south of the Ural Mountains in Russia continues to come to a head, especially in the city of Orenburg, where the Urals river reached a height of 9.78 meters on Wednesday morning - about half a meter above the critical brand. Experts predict that the water will increase by another 30 to 70 centimeters. In the entire administrative region of Orenburg there are 12,800 houses under water and 14,900 garden plots are affected, which has led to the evacuation of over 7000 people.

The massive water masses have led to switching off substances in several villages, causing power outages. Local dishes had to hire their business and museums have started to bring their art treasures to safety. The situation is particularly critical in the city of Orsk, where dams are broken. Also adjacent areas such as the Kurgan area in the southwest of Siberia are affected by increasing floods, with large flooded areas and rescue activities by boat.

The population expresses resentment about the slow rescue measures of the authorities and demands increased help. President Vladimir Putin has mobilized more police patrols to prevent looting. Critics complain that the preparations for spring floods in Russia are insufficient, while former Putin critic Julia Nawalnaja criticizes the authorities for their lack of preparation for natural disasters.

The causes of the flood are the strong snow and ice melt in the Ural Mountains, precipitation and dam breaks at the city of Orsk. Neighboring areas in Kazakhstan are also affected by floods, where 96,000 people were temporarily brought to safety. The government seems to have the situation under control, although heavy rains and snow melt continue to influence the situation.