Rapid Snow Melt and Flooding in the Ural Mountains of Russia; Thousands Evacuated

The rapid melting of snow in the Ural Mountains of Russia and the occurrence of the worst recorded flooding in the region have forced thousands of residents from cities along the Ural River to leave their homes. On Monday, April 8, Russia announced that following a flood caused by the cracking and breaking of a dam in the Orenburg region near the Kazakhstan border, a state of emergency has been declared in that area, and so far more than 4,000 residents have been evacuated by rescue forces. Reports indicate that the water level of the Ural River, the third longest river in Europe, rose several meters in just a few hours on Friday, overflowing a dam in the city of Orysk. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations announced that the Ural River, which originates in the Ural Mountains and flows into the Caspian Sea, reached a dangerous level in Orenburg—a city with a population of 500,000—on Monday. The water is expected to reach its highest level in the area on Wednesday, April 10. Reuters reported, citing this ministry, that over ten thousand residential buildings in 39 regions of Russia have been flooded, with the Ural, Siberia, Volga, and central regions suffering the most damage. Alexander Korenkov, the Russian Minister of Emergency Situations, stated that dozens of settlements in the federal regions of Siberia, Ural, and Volga have been affected by spring floods. The ministry has predicted that due to rising temperatures and active snowmelt, more flooding is expected at river mouths. According to reports, water levels in some flooded residential areas have reached over 160 centimeters. Streets have been submerged, and residents and emergency workers have been using boats to navigate the city. It is anticipated that water levels in the Ayshem and Tubol rivers in Siberia, tributaries of the Irtysh River, which along with the main river—the Ob—forms the seventh longest river system in the world, will rise even higher. The water level of the Ural River has risen close to 6 meters, and the mayor of Orenburg has stated that it is expected to rise even further. The Kremlin announced that Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, has asked the government to form a special commission to address the flooding in the regions of Orenburg, Kurgan, and Tyumen. The statement indicated that Putin is being kept informed about the situation. Governor Alexander Moor stated that an emergency has also been declared in the Tyumen region, one of Russia's key oil-producing areas in western Siberia. Drone images released by TASS, the Russian state news agency, show that another part of the dam collapsed on Monday, and in some parts of the city, homes have been submerged up to the roof.