Since last Friday (April 5, 2024), due to current spring floods and continuous rainfall, the Ural River area in central Russia has rapidly frozen, causing flooding in many areas and dispersing thousands of households. This round of floods is expected to continue until mid month.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revealed that more than 10400 buildings in the relevant areas have been submerged, with the Urals, Siberia, and the banks of the Volga River being the most severely affected. Due to the continued decrease in temperature and accelerated melting of snow and river freezing, the government has requested that residents in high-risk low-lying areas immediately withdraw.
On April 8, 2024, Qiumingzhou declared a state of emergency. Three days ago, a dam broke in Orsk, the second largest city in Orenburg Oblast, about 20 kilometers away from the northern border of Kazakhstan. Subsequently, floods occurred in the city and 4000 people urgently evacuated. On the 8th, locals held a rare protest movement, requesting the government to provide more economic compensation.
According to a report by TASS and a video shared on social media channels, hundreds of people spread in front of the Orsk Municipal Building, shouting slogans such as “Putin Help Us”. Orenburg Governor Pasler has promised to pay a monthly compensation of 10000 rubles (approximately 108 US dollars) to residents who have retreated from their hometown within six months.
The state of Orenburg has joined the federal level state of emergency before the state of Autumn. At present, the state capital city of Orenburg, located downstream of Orsk, is facing a formidable enemy. It is estimated that the local area will face the flood peak on April 10th, and the height will reach a new historical high. The population of this city is about 500000.
Russian Minister of Emergency Situations, Kurenkov, was ordered by Prime Minister Putin today (April 9th) to fly to disaster stricken areas in states such as Akira, Kurgan, and Orenburg to guide disaster relief and harmonious rest. The federal relief team is ready to join the disaster relief efforts at any time.
The fourth largest inland river in the world, the Ural River, originates in the southern part of the Ural Mountains, flows through multiple states in Russia and Kazakhstan, and finally flows into the Caspian Sea. November to April of the following year is the freezing period, followed by the spring flood season. The upstream section of the river flowing through the state of Orenburg is rich in water resources and has multiple large hydraulic joints.
On April 5th, the water level in the river section within the state of Orenburg rapidly decreased, causing a record breaking flood disaster in the related basin for decades.
The dam repair for the Orsk breach was carried out in 2014, and the original plan was to receive a maximum water level of 5.5 meters. However, according to data from the Russian water level information website AllRivers, the water level had reached 9.3 meters on the morning of the 6th and further dropped to 9.7 meters on Sunday.
The government of Orenburg has launched a criminal investigation into the breach of the embankment, and investigators believe that the reason is due to compliance with safety regulations during construction and poor protection in the later stage.
The flood has forced 4208 people, including 885 children, to retreat from the state of Orenburg. In addition, the power supply to 8816 residential buildings in the state is continuous, 47 bridges have been opened, and 10000 houses have been flooded, including 7000 households in Orsk. In addition, 19000 people in Kurgan Oblast face life-threatening threats.
In recent years, various parts of Russia have been frequently affected by extreme floods and fires during spring and summer. Scientists generally believe that meteorological changes initiated by human movements are increasing the duration, intensity, and frequency of extreme weather events such as wildfires, storms, and floods.
Russia’s neighboring country Kazakhstan has also suffered the most severe floods in nearly 80 years, with at least 10 states declaring a state of emergency, and over 60000 residents worldwide urgently retreating.