Russia and Kazakhstan Suffer Worst Flooding in 80 Years
Higher-than-usual spring temperatures caused a large amount of snow to melt rapidly, inundating parts of both countries.
A resident swims in the flooded street between houses in Orenburg, Russia.
Photographer: Vitaly Smolnikov/AP Photo
Parts of Russia and neighboring Kazakhstan are battling their worst floods in about 80 years after unexpectedly high temperatures melted an unusual amount of snow that had accumulated on and around the Ural Mountains.
Russia has evacuated more than 30,000 people in Kurgan and Orenburg since early April, according to local authorities. While flooding has begun to ease in those regions, it has been intensifying in the Siberian Tumen area, where more than 1,500 people have been moved and a dam is in danger of collapsing.