Russia – Emergency Declared After Severe Floods Hit Sochi

Officials in Sochi, the popular resort city on the Black Sea in Russia, have declared a state of emergency after 3 days of severe weather including heavy rain, flash floods and landslides.

Mayor of the city, Alexey Kopaygorodsky, said 76 mm of rain fell in just 1 hour. The Bzugu River broke its banks while several other river rose significantly.

“The weather over the past three days have left destruction throughout the city. The situation is extremely serious. The central region suffered the most. In the modern history of Sochi, there has never been an incident of this magnitude in this part of the resort. Emergency recovery work is underway. This is task number one,” the Sochi Mayor said on 24 July.

One person died in the floods and several dozen people were rescued. Videos shared on Social Media showed raging flood waters dragging vehicles along streets. At least 60 vehicles were seriously damaged. Officials have also carried out damage assessments on around 250 homes damaged in the floods.

The region has seen numerous flood events since June this year. The Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) in Krasnodar Krai reported 2 vehicles were swept away by flash floods Sochi after heavy rain in surrounding mountainous areas on 24 June 2022. Two people were rescued, 2 bodies were recovered and 4 people remained missing, as of late 24 June.

EMERCOM later reported 111 properties were flooded in the municipality of Slavyansky district, Krasnodar Krai, on 11 July 2022. During this time the East Dagomys River broke its banks near Sochi after 86 mm of rain in 1 hour, damaging several buildings.

Social Media

Река Бзугу в Хостинском районе Сочи вышла из берегов

В городе оказались заперты в автобусах люди, потоки воды сносят автомобили, ливень не прекращается несколько часов. pic.twitter.com/wcNRDh0PX8

— Сан Саныч (@ro8KgQdZ4lonLSm) July 24, 2022