Torrential rain has brought chaos and devastation to a European country, causing massive floods and mudslides. More than half of the average monthly rainfall fell in just a few hours yesterday in Dagestan, a republic located in Russia’s Caucasus.
Hail stones the size of cherries were reported in some parts of the country, as the natural disaster unfolded. Roads in major cities – including the capital Makhachkala – were transformed into raging torrents of water. The floods swept away cars and roads, leaving large parts of the country under water.
The heavy downpour also sparked mudflows and rockfalls, forcing police to close the Gimri tunnel. The tunnel is a key transport artery of the region connecting the mountainous areas with the central part of the republic.
Video image shows car drivers desperately trying to save their vehicles even at great risk to their own lives. The men wade waste-deep through the rapidly moving flood waters in a bid to salvage what they can, as cars are carried away.
The cities of Izberbash and Derbent have been placed on high alert, as the bad weather shows no sign of abating. Meteorologists are predicting more heavy rain, thunderstorms and high winds in the coming days.
The severe weather has also left thousands of residents in 18 settlements without power and electricity.
Disasters caused by extreme weather have become a recurring event in Russia, which is warming 2.5 times faster than the global average.
Last month, flash floods brought traffic in Moscow to a standstill, as the capital received a month’s worth of rain in under two hours.
Videos posted on social media at the time showed cars submerged in murky water, traffic backed up on flooded highways and water pouring into tunnels and underground parking areas.
The deluge followed a heat wave and was part of a broader weather pattern affecting central Russia.
