Russian city calls for mass evacuations due to due to rising flood waters – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Authorities in the Russian city of Orenburg issued an urgent call for thousands of residents to evacuate immediately on Friday as floodwaters surged following a historic deluge of melting snow. The situation was similarly alarming in the Kurgan region, where water levels were rising rapidly. Across the border in Kazakhstan, over 100,000 people have been evacuated due to the rapid melting of snow and ice caused by warming temperatures.The deluge of meltwater has displaced more than 120,000 individuals in Russia‘s Ural Mountains, Siberia, and Kazakhstan, with major rivers like the Ural overflowing their embankments. In response, regional authorities ordered the mass evacuation of parts of Orenburg, a city with a population of over half a million situated 1,200 km east of Moscow.
“There’s a siren going off in the city. This is not a drill. There’s a mass evacuation in progress!,” exclaimed Sergei Salmin, the mayor of Orenburg, via the Telegram messenger app. Reports later confirmed that over 13,000 residents, including a significant number of children, had been evacuated in the region. Mayor Salmin highlighted the community’s efforts to build dykes and protect high-rise buildings from flooding, with trucks carrying clay dispatched to vulnerable areas.
Emergency workers identified the water levels in the Ural river as exceeding 2 meters above the danger mark, causing water to encroach upon homes and leaving pet dogs stranded on rooftops. Mayor Salmin urged residents to gather essential documents, medicines, and belongings before abandoning their homes.
Residents affected by the floods expressed sorrow over the loss of their possessions. Vyacheslav, a local resident, described the damage to furniture, household appliances, and decorations in his partially submerged home as a significant financial blow. Alexei Kudinov, Orenburg’s deputy mayor, reported that hundreds of houses and plots had been flooded overnight, with expectations of the deluge peaking on Friday and receding in the following days.
Governor Denis Pasler informed President Vladimir Putin that nearly 12,000 homes had been flooded, putting an additional 19,000 individuals at risk if water levels continued to rise. Meanwhile, the village of Kaminskoye in the Kurgan region initiated evacuation procedures as water levels surged by 1.4 meters overnight. The region’s governor, Vadim Shumkov, shared concerns about the possibility of flooding reaching Kurgan in the near future.
Kurgan, known for its military-industrial complex and production of army vehicles, remained vigilant as water levels threatened the area. The factory, Kurganmashzavod, responsible for manufacturing infantry fighting vehicles, had not reported any disruptions due to flooding. In addition to the immediate risks, other regions in Russia, including parts of Western Siberia and areas near the Volga River, faced escalating water levels.
Authorities anticipated water levels to peak in various Russian regions within the next two weeks, underscoring the ongoing challenges posed by the unprecedented flooding crisis.