Severe flooding caused by the worst spring snowmelt in nearly a century has hit major rivers across Russia and Kazakhstan, resulting in the displacement of over 120,000 people in Russia’s Ural Mountains, Siberia, and Kazakhstan. The Ural, the largest river in Kazakhstan, overflowed its embankments, leading to the inundation of whole areas of the city of Orenburg, which has a population of 550,000 and is located about 1,200 km (750 miles) east of Moscow. The Ural rose swiftly to 10.87 metres (more than 35 ft), far above the level considered by local authorities as safe, causing residents to flee with their children, pets, and a few belongings.
The flooding has affected Russia’s Urals and northern Kazakhstan the most. Still, water levels are also rising in southern parts of Western Siberia, the world’s largest hydrocarbon basin, and in some places near the Volga, Europe’s biggest river.
The situation has been described as the result of a combination of factors, including waterlogged soils before winter, deep snowfall followed by rapid melting, and heavy rains. Emergency workers have removed 8.8 million cubic metres (310 million cubic feet) of water from flooded areas, and the Kazakh government said movement was restricted on hundreds of kilometres of roads in the Aktobe, Akmola, Atyrau, Kostanai, Mangistau, and North Kazakhstan regions.
In Orenburg, Governor Denis Pasler told President Vladimir Putin that the situation had peaked, although water levels would still rise. He said 11,972 homes had been flooded, and if waters rose further, 19,412 more people would be in danger. The flooding of the Ishim River in Russia’s Tyumen region is due to peak by April 23-25, and in Siberia’s Tyumen, 7,291 people were evacuated, while in Kurgan, 6,151 people were evacuated.
Despite the usual spring flooding across Russia, climate researchers have long warned that rising temperatures could increase the incidence of extreme weather events. Putin held a video meeting with Emergencies Minister Alexander Kurenkov and the governors of Orenburg, Kurgan, and Tyumen, the worst affected regions. Putin urged officials to focus on helping people, and in Kurgan, about 14,000 workers were working around the clock to raise the 30-km long Kurgan embankment.
Overall, the flooding has caused significant damage to infrastructure, and homes, and has displaced thousands of people.
