The Krasnodar Region has been severely impacted by torrential downpours and a tornado, leading to widespread flooding as rivers overflow their banks. Consequently, a state of emergency has been declared in the Tuapse district. In this area, 70 private properties across three settlements have been submerged, and Sochi remains under a storm warning until Monday.
The Tuapse district bore the initial brunt of the extreme weather. Intense rains caused river levels to rise dramatically. A significant mudslide on the M-4 «Don» federal highway disrupted traffic, leading to kilometers-long queues as clearance efforts were underway. In the village of Lermontovo, powerful water currents visibly destroyed part of an old bridge. Local residents are now forced to find alternative routes to reach the district center.
Marina, a resident of Lermontovo and owner of the `Cherry` guesthouse, reported on the bridge damage: «There, on that side, people lived, not many tourists. It`s just an old, emergency bridge, built in 1945 or 1942, the Germans built it, half-wooden, half-iron. The bridge needed repair, they`ve been planning to fix it for years and never did. Thankfully, there were no casualties from the collapse itself; everything else is fine.»
When asked if the bridge was regularly used, she confirmed: «Yes, it was. Not many people lived on the side beyond the bridge – it`s mostly private residences, not a large population.»
Further destruction occurred when another bridge span collapsed near the village of Fanagoriyskoe, close to Goryachy Klyuch. In Agoy, a settlement within the Tuapse district, a tornado that formed over the sea abruptly moved ashore. The swirling vortex lifted beach equipment, including sun loungers, bungalow gazebos, and catamarans, into the air – items that had been placed on the beach despite warnings from the Ministry of Emergency Situations about the impending bad weather.
Despite the chaos, many tourists lingered on the beach, observing the powerful elements and even swimming. One catamaran was flung directly onto the roof of a cafe. Footage circulating online shows a man standing beneath the roof remaining unfazed by the impact. Elena, who was vacationing in Agoy, was in her hotel during the peak of the bad weather. She described what she witnessed once the rain subsided:
Elena, vacationer in Agoy: «Near us, there’s a river that used to be quite calm, like a small stream. Now it`s completely full, dark, and thick. All of it is flowing into the sea. The sea is very dirty right now. But for some reason, many people are still going and driving to the sea specifically to swim.»
When asked about local businesses, she added: «The shops are all open now; only the small convenience stores and stalls selling inflatable rings and things like that were closed.»
A massive amount of branches and logs were swept down from the mountains into the sea. Tuapse`s local social media pages were inundated with videos, including one showing a tourist floating on a log and another swimming among the debris. Commentators humorously likened one scene to `Papa Carlo` having lost Pinocchio. For most local residents, this situation has become a familiar occurrence; every year, heavy rainfall causes debris from the mountains to cascade into the coastal settlements.
Anton MisulisDeputy General Director, Business FM Krasnodar
«If you listen to what people say, everyone, without exception, complains about the chaotic urban development. Water has nowhere to go; it flows wherever it can carve a path. Also, perhaps the problem lies in the fact that riverbeds are not being cleaned, because in the videos we watched, particularly of the bridge that was washed away, it wasn`t just washed away by the water flow, but by a torrent of debris and branches that had been swept down from the mountains. As for the consequences for business, naturally, the resort season is in full swing, and all efforts will be directed towards eliminating these consequences. But overall, and judging by the same videos we saw, the vacationers seem to perceive it as a certain kind of action, a form of entertainment – swimming on logs in this not-so-clean water.»
However, riverbed clearing in the Krasnodar Region is a problematic area. For instance, last year, the regional environmental prosecutor`s office pursued a court order to prohibit the deepening of the Mzymta River bed. While the regional Ministry of Natural Resources stated that this was necessary to increase the river`s flow capacity, prosecutors argued it would disrupt the ecological balance. Moreover, there have been documented cases where workers, under the guise of clearing riverbeds, were simultaneously engaged in illegal sand and gravel extraction.
