NewsUnprecedented flood sweeps Orenburg, Russia, with billions in damages

Unprecedented flood sweeps Orenburg, Russia, with billions in damages

Photo taken from the International Space Station published by Roskosmos / Vladimir Putin
Photo taken from the International Space Station published by Roskosmos / Vladimir Putin
Images source: © East News

3:51 PM EDT, April 12, 2024

The flood situation in the Orenburg region is deteriorating, with the governor, Denis Pasler, warning during a video conference with Putin that over 3,500 residential buildings could be flooded within the next 24 hours.
Pasler noted that water levels in the Ural River in the Orenburg area and downstream are expected to rise further, potentially flooding 3,580 residential buildings and 3,950 plots.

Disaster in Russia: 36 feet of water

According to Pasler, the flood has already caused damages exceeding 40 billion rubles ($586 million) in the region. He emphasized that this figure is only preliminary. "The water has not receded yet, and we have not completed our full analysis," he explained.

He also mentioned that the flood peaked on Thursday, which was the most challenging situation in Orenburg. Here, the Ural River reached an unprecedented level of 35 feet 8 inches.

In Orsk, despite a dam breaking earlier due to the flood, the water level has fallen, dropping another 5.5 inches in the last 24 hours. However, about 6,000 residential buildings are still in the flood zone, with over a thousand people in temporary accommodation centers.

Roscosmos has released a photo of the flooding from the International Space Station.

This year's spring flood is the most severe in the region's history, with 11,900 residential buildings and 14,900 plots in dozens of localities affected by the morning of April 11th. A federal state of emergency has been declared in the region, evacuating 7,800 people, including 2,100 children.

Strengthening the dam over a length of 18.6 miles

The Kurgan region also feels the disaster's impact, with an ongoing risk of flooding. Governor Vadim Shumkov informed Putin that urgent efforts are underway to reinforce an 18.6-mile-long dam in the region's capital, raising it to 36 feet. Additionally, protective measures have been activated in five other municipalities.

Previously, Shumkov had urged all residents on the right bank of Kurgan to evacuate, and over 6,200 people have evacuated so far.