Flood disaster in Orenburg: Ural flood reaches apocalyptic dimensions

Flood disaster in Orenburg: Ural flood reaches apocalyptic dimensions

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 stood almost half a meter above the critical brand of 9.78 meters on Wednesday morning. The city administration reported that several districts were already under water. Experts predict that the water will increase by another 30 to 70 centimeters.

A total of 12,800 houses and 14,900 garden plots were flooded in the Orenburg administrative area, which led to the evacuation of more than 7,000 people. The water masses forced several villages to switch off substations, which led to a power failure. In addition, dishes were closed and museums began to protect their works of art.

The population expresses their resentment that the authorities are only slowly providing help. President Vladimir Putin reacted to the situation by ordering an increased use of police patrols to prevent possible looting. Critics complained that too little had been done for years to prepare themselves against spring floods.

The causes of the flood are in the solid snow and ice melt in the Ural Mountains and strong precipitation. In addition to the Urals, other rivers in the region, about 1200 kilometers southeast of Moscow, also swollen a lot. The flood disaster in Russia has also affected neighboring regions, such as the Kurgan area in southwestern Siberia, where huge flooded areas were visible and rescue measures were taken.