Russia, Kazakhstan Face ‘Worst Flood In Decades’ Due To Melting Snow

Rapidly melting snow caused the worst floods in Russia's Ural Mountains, forcing thousands of people to abandon their homes as some of Europe's largest rivers rose to capacity.

Federal Emergency

Russia declared a federal emergency in the Orenburg area bordering Kazakhstan after the Ural River, Europe's third-longest river, surged several meters in hours on Friday and burst through a dam embankment in the city of Orsk.

The river, which starts in the Ural Mountains and flows into the Caspian Sea, is expected to reach unsafe levels in Orenburg, a 500,000-person city downriver from Orsk, with a peak forecast on April 10, according to Russia's Ministry of Civil Defence, Emergencies, and Disaster Relief.

The Kremlin has warned that water levels in some locations are increasing faster than they have in the last century.

Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said President Putin has directed the governors of the Siberian districts of Tyumen and Kurgan, located further east, to prepare for an "expected sharp rise in water levels" and "inevitable" floods.

On Saturday, Russian authorities announced the evacuation of over 4,500 residents from the Orenburg region, which is located near Orsk.

In addition, the regions of Orenburg, Kurgen, and Tyumen declared emergencies.

"An increase in air temperatures, active snow melt and river openings are predicted. More than 10,400 residential buildings remain flooded in 39 regions," Emergencies Minister Alexander Kurenkov said.

In a rare display of dissent in Russia, dozens of protestors in Orsk, which was swamped in meters of flood water over the weekend after a dam burst, rallied on Monday against the government's inadequate reaction.

Local social media networks shared videos of the masses chanting, "Shame!" Shame! Shame!" and "Putin, help!"

Some residents are dissatisfied with the compensation granted by authorities after their properties have been destroyed or seriously damaged. Some are also disappointed that the dam embankment erected in 2010 was insufficient to secure their city.

Biggest Natural Disaster

President Putin appointed a government commission to investigate the flooding. The Russian leader's spokeswoman stated that he had no plans to visit the flood zone but was being briefed on "nature anomalies" in real time.

Putin, a strong skeptic of man-made climate change for much of his presidency, has recently directed his government to do more to prepare Russia for catastrophic weather occurrences. The country has experienced significant flooding and fires in recent springs and summers.

Rosgidromet, Russia's weather monitoring agency, said the flood in Orenburg was not expected to peak until Wednesday and warned that several sections of the city would be affected.

The Ural River flows past Orenburg and into Kazakhstan, where President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared the floods one of the biggest natural disasters to hit the region in decades.

The country's emergency ministry also announced that approximately 12,000 people were being accommodated in temporary shelters.

According to the report, rescuers were also able to relocate approximately 60,000 agricultural animals to safer locations.

Tokayev said the government had increased its efforts to reduce the effects of the floods and that all required help would be provided.