Days of heavy rain and flooding have prompted authorities to declare an emergency in Primorsky Krai in Russia‘s Far East.
The declaration covers 15 municipalities including the city of Vladivostok which is among the worst affected. In a statement of 29 August, the Primorsky Krai administration said more than 150mm of rain had fallen in Vladivostok over the last few days. According to WMO figures, the mean total precipitation for August in Vladivostok is 153.0mm. Areas of the city were flooded after the Bogataya river broke its banks.
No casualties have been reported. However the flooding has caused material damages, with around 800 homes flooded in the region and almost 170 people evacuated in areas including Vladivostok, Oktyabrsky district and Ussuriysk city.
Primorsky Administration for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Prim HydroMet) reported that 67 mm of rain fell in 12 hours on 27 August in Vladivostok, with Preobrazheniye recording 67 mm and Partizansk 79 mm during the same period. Further heavy rain fell the next day, with Vladivostok recording 126mm in 24 hours.
Prim HydroMet reported on 28 August that river levels in southern and southeastern parts of the region had increased, including the Razdol’naya in Ussuriysk City and Nadezhdinsky district, the Malinovka and Bol’shaya Ussurka rivers in Dalnerechensky and Pozharsky districts, and the Ilistaya river in Chernigovsky district. Prim HydroMet warned that some rivers could rise by up to 2.5 metres.
Heavy rain had affected parts of the region from around 22 August also, with Nakhodka recording 60 mm and Terney 53 mm.
