July 31, 2022

Flooding in Paradise


Flooding in Paradise
Sochi, with normal water levels.  Wikimedia Commons, Trace. 

Over the weekend of July 22, 2022, record-breaking rainfall caused flooding in Sochi.

Sochi saw an unprecedented 90 millimeters (3.5 in) of rain in one hour. Vehicles and roads were destroyed, residences flooded, and debris was thrown about the city. According to Mayor Andrei Kopaygorodsky, the flood also caused several Sochi residents to lose power.

Arshak Makichyan, a Russian climate activist, said that climate change is to blame for the flood.

As of July 24, the Emergency Situations Ministry said water levels were back to normal in surrounding rivers. Shortly afterward, Mayor Kopaygorodsky re-opened Sochi’s beaches. Sochi is Russia’s largest resort city, enjoyed by tourists visiting the Black Sea coast.

Unfortunately, several injuries and one death occurred due to the chaos. Photos from the incident can be seen here.

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