Three months in an hour: the elements have once again struck parts of the North Caucasus
Yesterday evening, a heavy downpour with hail and squalls lashed the capital of Karachay-Cherkessia. The storm began around 10:00 PM. Residents of the republic are posting videos on social media featuring powerful thunderclaps and bright flashes of lightning.
This afternoon, June 17, the elements struck Vladikavkaz. According to local authorities, the city received three months' worth of rainfall in just one hour. Many streets were flooded, and turbulent mudflows flowed along the roads, forcing traffic to be temporarily closed in some areas.
"Vladikavkaz's storm drainage system handled three months' worth of rainfall in an hour, despite not being designed to handle such a volume of water. "This is precisely why traffic is temporarily restricted on streets caught in the middle of the extreme downpour," explained the North Ossetian Ministry of Housing and Public Utilities.
A storm warning has now been issued for Stavropol Krai as well. According to the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry, heavy rain, downpours with thunderstorms, hail, and wind gusts up to 25 meters per second are expected in the region until the end of June 17, as well as on June 18 and 19.
Authorities are warning residents about possible flooding, damage due to strong winds, and traffic congestion.
