Ural River Level Drops Below Dangerous Mark Near Orenburg, Russia

The water level in the Ural River near the Russian city of Orenburg has fallen to 920 cm, which is 10 cm below the dangerous level of 930 cm, according to the administration of the Orenburg region. The water level in the Sakmara River near Tatarskaya Kargala has also dropped to 858 cm, 12 cm below the dangerous level of 870 cm. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and providing updates on the water levels in the region.

Despite the drop in water levels near Orenburg, flooding remains widespread in Russia. Over 5,000 properties have been flooded in the Kurgan region, and 12,000 residences are inundated in the Orenburg region. More than 15,000 people have been evacuated due to the flooding. In the Tyumen region, emergency workers are monitoring the condition of dams and distributing sandbags as over 3,000 people have been evacuated.

Why this matters: The extensive flooding in Russia has affected tens of thousands of people, causing widespread damage and displacement. The situation highlights the need for effective flood management and disaster response measures to protect communities and infrastructure from the impacts of extreme weather events.

Flooding has also affected neighboring Kazakhstan, where authorities have declared a state of emergency in 10 out of 17 regions. Seven people have been reported dead due to the floods in Kazakhstan. Experts have cited multiple possible causes for the floods, including large snow reserves melting, deep freezing of the soil, and a massive release of water from a reservoir.

Nearly 14,500 homes have been flooded in the Orenburg region bordering Kazakhstan after a dam on the Ural River burst last week, causing water levels to spike. The situation is more dire in the southwest of the region near the Kazakh border, where the river has risen to a dangerous level in the town of Ilek. In Kazakhstan, massive floods have prompted the evacuation of over 113,000 people, with more than 5,700 houses remaining flooded.

Key Takeaways

• Water levels in Ural and Sakmara rivers in Russia have dropped below dangerous levels.
• Flooding remains widespread in Russia, affecting over 5,000 properties in Kurgan and 12,000 in Orenburg.
• Over 15,000 people have been evacuated due to flooding in Russia's Tyumen, Kurgan, and Orenburg regions.
• Flooding has also affected neighboring Kazakhstan, where a state of emergency has been declared in 10 regions.
• A dam burst on the Ural River in Russia's Orenburg region has caused water levels to spike, flooding nearly 14,500 homes.