Krasnodar region flooding

[mendeleyev]

Yesterday in the Mendeleyev Journal we reported over 78 deaths from flooding in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar. Later in the evening we revised the number to 90, then over 100. After dark on Friday a seven-foot wave swept down from a mountain upon unsuspecting residents as heavy rain threatened dam levies.
 
 Today the death count has risen to 154 and the rain continues.



 
 
 
 
 
 

[mendeleyev]

The Mendeleyev Journal:

Krasnodar, Russia and the surrounding region is finally getting a chance to dry out. Next will come the sorting out of what happened so suddenly in the middle of the night as walls of water came crashing down the mountains, killing 153 residents, most from the small city of Krymsk.

President Putin arrived in the area for an inspection as emergency workers from the Emergency Situations Ministry converted a youth center into a shelter providing food, dry clothing and information about missing relatives to residents still shocked by the weekend flooding. Right away President Putin ordered authorities to monitor the Neberdzhayevskoye reservoir which is suspected to be the source of what some have described as a "tsunami" caused by dam engineers releasing water too quickly as volumes of rain swept over the area.

Social media is playing a big part of the coverage as authorities at first denied that the reservoir had been opened. However photos of cars and even large trucks being carried along by giant waves are all over the Internet. The leader of the political opposition party, Yabloko, suggested that authorities were even downplaying the number of victims.

At first investigators denied that the reservoir could have caused the flooding, saying no large water surges had been detected but local residents had information and mobile phone photos prompting investigators to change their story. Alexander Bastrykin, Russia's top Investigator arrived after President Putin and immediately opened a criminal case for negligence leading to the deaths.

Volunteers in Moscow have set up temporary kiosks near Moscow Metro stations to gather humanitarian aid to send to victims of the floods.

[mendeleyev]

бог, ты где?




бог, ты где? (God, where are you?) That is one hell of a question after a weekend in which 153 innocent individuals were washed away after authorities opened dam gates too wide to let off excess water during prolonged rainstorms in southern Russia. In the middle of the night, while residents slept, a seven foot wall of water came out of nowhere with no warning.

Except cry in frustration over authorities denials despite residents with cell phone photos of cars and trucks being carried by waves, we've got nothing else to do except use that expression for a lesson in Cyrillic Russian: бог, B-o-g is God. ты is really two letters, T-ee meaning 'you' and где, G-d-ye, is 'where.' The word order of "God, you where?" of course is understood in English as "God, where are you?"

(From the Mendeleyev Journal)

[Doll]

I am in Krasnodarskyi Region now on a visit. We (my son and his friends- rescue team) are going to Krymsk tomorrow.
Guys, it is horrible here!

[mendeleyev]

Doll, my friend Alyona Popova along with others has been camped out in tents and RV campers as part of a group of volunteers who have been delivering supplies.

If anyone is in Moscow now and you plan to head to the Krasnodar region in the coming days, swing by Moscow State University and near the entrance is a stand where you can donate items to be taken to the region, or you can volunteer to carry supplies with you to be delivered to emergency workers for distribution in the area. Suggested items are everything from bottled water, flashlights, matches, blankets, first-aid supplies, non-perishable foods, etc.

[Doll]

I am glad (if it is the right word), that I can help with my own hands. Will take pics and videos tomorrow.
Wish me luck.
Krymsk is less than 2 hours away from the place I am now. Right now we are loading the cars with tools, water and chemicals.
Girls from Russian Forum in the States sent donation to me to use as a help.
 

[mendeleyev]

Yes, Doll! Much success as you help!

[Belvis]

At first investigators denied that the reservoir could have caused the flooding, saying no large water surges had been detected but local residents had information and mobile phone photos prompting investigators to change their story.

I'd like to say about the reasons of flooding how experts see them.
Indeed,   there was a reservoir  water release, but the released water volume was roughly 20 times less than sweeps through the town. The combination of factors leads to the destructive flooding: 1) Heavy rains  (1/3 of yearly norm) caused overflowing of  mountain rivers; 2) The water volume may be not so huge, however the water thrust was swift because of elevation. Very dense building area has not  let  the powerful water stream through the town so water level in the town raised up.  Local authorities are guilty because they were warned in advance but failed to evacuate people.

[Faux Pas]

I am glad (if it is the right word), that I can help with my own hands. Will take pics and videos tomorrow.
Wish me luck.
Krymsk is less than 2 hours away from the place I am now. Right now we are loading the cars with tools, water and chemicals.
Girls from Russian Forum in the States sent donation to me to use as a help.

Good luck to you Doll. Please keep us posted as you can 

[mendeleyev]

Indeed,   there was a reservoir  water release, but the released water volume was roughly 20 times less than sweeps through the town. The combination of factors leads to the destructive flooding: 1) Heavy rains  (1/3 of yearly norm) caused overflowing of  mountain rivers; 2) The water volume may be not so huge, however the water thrust was swift because of elevation. Very dense building area has not  let  the powerful water stream through the town so water level in the town raised up.  Local authorities are guilty because they were warned in advance but failed to evacuate people.

Good explanation, Belvis.

We'll have to see the outcome as President Putin ordered a criminal investigation. I didn't know that local authorities had been warned. Local media has interviewed dam engineers and there are varying stories as to the causes. No matter the cause, the loss of life was tragic and sad. Our thoughts and prayers are with the impacted families.

[mendeleyev]

From the Mendeleyev Journal, courtesy of the Patriarchal Press Service:

On July 9, 2012, the day of mourning for the victims of the road accident in the Chernigov Regions and the flood in the Krasnodar Region, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia held the litany of the dead at the Cathedral Church of Christ the Saviour.




(Patriarch Kirill pictured in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow.)

Before the service, the Primate of the Russian Church addressed the congregation, saying: It is a national day of mourning today. Immediately after the first stroke of the elements, we began working to organize aid to those affected. Our representatives, staff members of the Department for Charity and Social Service, are sent to the Krasnodar Region to examine the situation as soon as possible so that we, using our church channels, could ensure the giving all the necessary aid we are able to give.

Already now the mass media have communicated our call for collecting things, because an enormous number of people have lost everything. Donations will be collected at the Synodal Department for Social Service in Moscow. We are keeping in contact with the social service of the Diocese of Yekaterinodar.
 
All that the Church can and must do she will do, for it is her calling, for it is her natural response to God’s call to be merciful.

And now we will commemorate in prayer our brothers and sisters who died from the blow of water elements in the Krasnodar Regions and those, who on their pilgrimage from Pskov and Velikiye Luki to the Pochaev Monastery, ended their life in a terrible road accident. Let us pray for the dead and also ask the Lord to help those who need help today.

[mendeleyev]

The Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service of the Russian Orthodox Church has launched a fund-raising campaign for aid to the victims of floods in the Krasnodar Region.

A team of Orthodox emergency coordinators including priests and sisters of mercy, who received training in the Emergency Ministry, are in the region to help coordinate the aid effort.

Those who wish to help can make contributions to the account of the Department for Charity:

Address: 109004, Moscow, ul. Nikoloyamskaya, 57, Build. 7.

ИНН 7709048164, КПП 770901001, ОГРН 1037739255762
Account at the Petrokommerz Bank
р/с 40703810200000001493
 к/с 30101810700000000352
 БИК 044525352
 в ОАО Банк «Петрокоммерц» г. Москва

[mendeleyev]

Coming soon: photos and update of relief efforts.

[newjason]

excuse me for my ignorance, but does a city of 750,000 people not have a weather forecasting system?
Storm cells of this size and level of precipitation do not just appear out of nowhere. Doppler radar picks these up quite nicely and while 11 inches of rain in one day is very rare for this region, do they not have news reports of coming events such as this rain event?  Radio broadcasts? Emergency Alert system, A town siren or bell?  There seemed to be more than enough time to evacuate the city and the huge lake close to the city had no one to monitor the water levels?
The city is built along the river and the area is quite flat, so how did no one see this coming?

We get major flooding events from time to time also, but people know what to do when a storm of any considerable size comes. 

when you live close to the water, you are going to get wet.

If the Russian people have no advance warning system other that the government guy who falls asleep in these times of disaster,  Maybe it's high time to get one in place and have a private business control the informational broadcasting and emergency warning systems.  How many more Chernobyl type disasters will it take to get a Emergency Alert System in place.  If the answer is the government is responsible for warning people, then  its time to move to social media.  I mean VK.com  has this capacity right now. 

It's all very sad and my thoughts and prayers are with the people in the disaster zone.

I am also glad that people like Doll have the means and the motivation to help the victims.  Bless you Doll and your family.

[BC]

excuse me for my ignorance, but does a city of 750,000 people not have a weather forecasting system?
Storm cells of this size and level of precipitation do not just appear out of nowhere. Doppler radar picks these up quite nicely and while 11 inches of rain in one day is very rare for this region, do they not have news reports of coming events such as this rain event?  Radio broadcasts? Emergency Alert system, A town siren or bell?  There seemed to be more than enough time to evacuate the city and the huge lake close to the city had no one to monitor the water levels?
The city is built along the river and the area is quite flat, so how did no one see this coming?

We get major flooding events from time to time also, but people know what to do when a storm of any considerable size comes. 

when you live close to the water, you are going to get wet.

If the Russian people have no advance warning system other that the government guy who falls asleep in these times of disaster,  Maybe it's high time to get one in place and have a private business control the informational broadcasting and emergency warning systems.  How many more Chernobyl type disasters will it take to get a Emergency Alert System in place.  If the answer is the government is responsible for warning people, then  its time to move to social media.  I mean VK.com  has this capacity right now. 

It's all very sad and my thoughts and prayers are with the people in the disaster zone.

I am also glad that people like Doll have the means and the motivation to help the victims.  Bless you Doll and your family.

Jason,

I saw something recently about the floodgates of a dam being opened too much...

Will try to find it and edit this post.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/07/12/putin_s_katrina

A trusted ecologist, said Mitrokhin, had inspected a reservoir close to Krymsk and confirmed that the sluice gates had been opened the previous night. In order to save Novorossiisk -- a much larger nearby city -- from flooding, the theory went, the decision had been made to flood Krymsk instead, without warning the residents.

Is a theory though...

[newjason]

yes I saw that too, but no one can seem to confirm it.  The Govt. denies that the lake even has flood gates as such. From Google earth it would appear that they are correct because what is clear are the many many overspill ponds and sub lakes that seem to distribute water to the surrounding fields.  Even so, if there were a dam, and water was released, the dam operator has no responsibility to send an alert or a warning?  If the gov.. wants to harm the people of the city, why not just drain the whole lake at once?  or why drain it at all? just let it spill over and flood the fields too.
This just makes no sense at all and I suspect the whole truth has yet to come out.

oh, now I find an article that says there was a warning system, but  barely enough  time...
hmmm  Did the people see the weather reports and storm warnings, flood warnings and just choose not to evacuate, then blame the gov.. ?  I hope not, but  time will tell what really happened.

[I/O]

From what I can see, topography, geography, climatic events and maybe, just maybe, dam gate management have conspired to cause the catastrophe. We went through similar here  a couple of years ago and lost 20 odd people. It appears to be somewhat similar but I've little doubt some Russian official (s), rightly or wrongly, will pay a hefty price.
 
These things can and do happen at such a pace, someone, somewhere will have made a mistake - I'd rather not be him or her in Russia. 

[Misha]

Jason,

I saw something recently about the floodgates of a dam being opened too much...

Will try to find it and edit this post.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/07/12/putin_s_katrina

Is a theory though...

One interesting bit from the article, the discussion of the governor who visits the crowds and blurts out after telling them that they knew about the flood at 10pm: "What, were we supposed to go around to every single person?"


A short but effective critique of these words on YouTube (warning the images are graphic): [/size][/color]

[newjason]

I saw and read that also. So, it  was a local official who knew at 10pm that they would be doing a controlled flood of the river. Yet he told no one?   He then asks, what did you wan't i should do? knock on every one persons door?

Answer: IF that is what it takes, yes you do it! IT's your freaking JOB as mayor, that is why you got elected or appointed, to do exactally that. Look out for the people and represent their interests.  And as the offical mayor or whatever, you stay and are the last one to leave the city to make sure everyone is safe.
Otherwise, The captain goes down with his ship.

IF this is indeed the case, and he pretty much just admitted that it is.. then the people of Krasnodar should lock him away and throw away the key.  Or, if convicted, have him hung publicly to reduce the cost of keeping such a shmuck in prison.

We have a similar problem in our state. The governor want's to raise taxes again, because she can't figure out how the money is all spent so quickly and the budget is over run in the first 3 months of the year.  When asked where the billion dollars of state money is going, she answered, "Oh I don't know, who has time to read all that?"   
the answer is  YOU Governor, it is your job! 
she then goes on to say, 
if she does not get more money, then she feels like she can not do the job. 
The residents said , "then get out of the governor's mansion and let someone else do it who can read a budget" your opponent in the election will gladly step in.  to this she laughed.  Clueless political witch.
 grrr 
It's time to start holding these idiots responsible for the duties they swore to uphold for the people who elected them. Until there is a stiff penalty for these  morons, it is just going to get worse.

So my question still stands.. Is there no local media that can deliver emergency broadcasts?  TV, Radio,  a siren?  the Police and a freaking megaphone? anything?

[I/O]

Newjason: Russia is a very complex animal in this context - said dude is there because he was put there, not because anybody local necessarily wanted him there.

[BC]

Newjason: Russia is a very complex animal in this context - said dude is there because he was put there, not because anybody local necessarily wanted him there.

The head of Krymsk district council, Vasily Krutko, was dismissed. Earlier it was reported that the town's mayor too had been fired, but that was later corrected.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18765305

Yes, they giveth and taketh away.

[mendeleyev]

From the Mendeleyev Journal...

From December to May if you'd have ventured that professional friends Alyona Popova and Tina Kandelaki would be working together on a project anytime soon, you'd have witnessed me chuckling. Those days pitted "for Putin" groups opposite the "against Putin" groups and it appeared then that friendships and relationships would be strained for some time to come.



Some of Russia's best working for a common cause.


Since those first days after the tragedy, a collection of Russia's most opposite stars and personalities have come to help and volunteer with relief organizations: Natalia Vodianova, Tina Kandelaki (pro-Putin journalist), Ilya Ponomarev (anti-Putin parliament deputy) and others have put aside their differences to unite on behalf of brother and sister Russians.



Registration and directions.


Other well-known volunteers have begun to smile again--something they were hard pressed to do during the strain of months of political protests. Fittingly, some of the government buses and vans sent to the region by the Emergency Situations Ministry carried volunteers who had been arrested during the winter-spring political protests.




The flood contaminated the fresh water supply. Bottled water just arrived at the flood relief.

Basic needs include bottled water, toiletries, medical supplies, blankets, roll-up mattresses, small generators, clothing, and food supplies. Below is a family made homeless by flooding checking in for emergency supplies from volunteer workers.





Imagine however how gratifying it must have seemed to residents in the areas of Russia's recent deadly floods to watch prominent personalities stand together and work strive side by side to bring needed aid to suffering citizens. What began as collection sites around Moscow Metro stations turned into busloads of divergent personalities traveling and then camping in tents together as volunteers to serve their fellow Russians.




Tents used by soldiers and Emergency Situations Ministry workers sit next to tents that were used for Moscow protests in May.

Tents, yes many of the same tents that had been staked in Moscow's anti-Putin protests are now staked in fields around stricken cities like Krymsk, Gelenzhik and Novorossiysk in the Krasnodar region. Volunteers have also set up temporary kitchens to serve homeless flood victims.



Temporary emergency kitchen.


Personal note: Alyona says that the stench from rotting flesh has sent more than one volunteer, including herself, running for a private spot due to nausea and dizziness before continuing to work.





Officials still fear that many who are missing may not be found alive. Families often make fliers when searching for their loved ones and Russian media continues to broadcast news of survivors and alerts regarding those still lost. One organization dedicated to missing children is making their resources available to families: www.lizaalert.org.



News coverage of the flood relief and broadcasts of survivors.

More than 170 persons are known to have died in the recent flooding and Russians in cities like Moscow and Saint Petersburg have been moved by their plight and by Russian standards are making record donations of bedding, toys, clothing and other supplies. There are ten official donation drop-off points in Moscow.

The concept of corruption is so deeply ingrained that probing questions are asked by those who donate in the cities and again by residents who receive the aid. City residents are often suspicious that aid will not make it to the Krasnodar region. Victims in the flood stricken areas are suspicious that not all donations are making it to their region.

If you'd like to donate, here is a secure location for Western residents.


(photos: Alyona Popova mobile phone)

[newjason]

so it's now become  in vogue for stars and famous faces to come to disaster sites to further their agenda on the backs of the homeless and the dead. The fact that the news media covers this visit by these famous people taking a photo op or a sound bite while "giving"  to the victims is just sickening to me.
Making this a political circus is obscuring the facts of the disaster.  Any word on the investigation and why the hell the people were or were not given any kind of early warning before the deadly flooding began, and who is responsible for the dam and why the spillways were supposedly opened in the middle of the night? no, just reports of supermodels coming to lend a hand. that's just sad.

[BC]

so it's now become  in vogue for stars and famous faces to come to disaster sites to further their agenda on the backs of the homeless and the dead. The fact that the news media covers this visit by these famous people taking a photo op or a sound bite while "giving"  to the victims is just sickening to me.
Making this a political circus is obscuring the facts of the disaster. 

Jason,

An unfair statement in my opin.  Example Natalia Vodianova.. I met her very briefly in Venice a couple years back.  She is very active with projects for kids, setting up new playgrounds etc. http://www.nakedheart.org/

I think folks, even famous in RU may be a bit 'different'..  have to remember that many if not all of these 'stars', lived through the downfall of the SU and a very difficult economic crisis in RU.  I do think their efforts are honest and close to their own 'roots'...

It's not like Paris Hilton showing up....  far from it.

[mendeleyev]

so it's now become  in vogue for stars and famous faces to come to disaster sites to further their agenda on the backs of the homeless and the dead. The fact that the news media covers this visit by these famous people taking a photo op or a sound bite while "giving"  to the victims is just sickening to me.

If I gave that impression, then my reporting was wrong and I failed because that is not what is happening. My apologies.

Jason, I appreciate your genuine concern for the victims. My hope was to convey that the two sides have laid aside their differences to serve the flood victims while standing side by side. That is in reality what is happening. Those tents pitched are a testament to something that was tearing Russia apart from December to May.

Today the large tents of the government troops and ESM workers sit next to the small tents of folk that were camping out in protests earlier this year. However now, instead of campaigning for change, they're spending days and weeks in these conditions while distributing supplies, cooking meals, and arranging medical care and transportation.

Making this a political circus is obscuring the facts of the disaster.  Any word on the investigation and why the hell the people were or were not given any kind of early warning before the deadly flooding began, and who is responsible for the dam and why the spillways were supposedly opened in the middle of the night? no, just reports of supermodels coming to lend a hand. that's just sad.

First, only one supermodel that I know of as the rest of the females I mentioned are journalists and TV personalities.  Jason, I'd understand if it were a tour of supermodels coming in for a photo op and then turning around and going back home. These high profile personalities are well known and respected across Russia. They're not here on a photo op (I didn't show them and well could have) but instead they're pinning their hair up, putting on shorts and jeans, and serving food at the emergency kitchens, helping little ones find their parents, serving on supply deliveries and at night they drag their tired bones into one of those tents I pictured and sleep without a shower to get up the next morning (no cosmetics) and start the routine all over again.

As BC wrote:

It's not like Paris Hilton showing up....  far from it.

These personalities are here to work and serve. They're thrown aside the cosmetics and rolled up their sleeves to do something. If fame is what they wanted, they'd have strutted for a few photos and head back to Moscow. They're still here, dirty, aching, tired & over exhausted, but working.

They are heroes in my book and I think that in learning this, will be heroes in your book as well.

Photo 1 below: Natalia Vodianova and Alyona Popova confirm assignments for new volunteers. Both are beautiful women, Natalia a model and Alyona a journalist, but as you can see they're not here for photos or to look pretty. They're working themselves into the ground from sunrise to long past sundown.

Photo 2 below: Tired volunteers, some of these are TV and music personalities, receive assignments for tomorrow (this photo was taken tonight) before being dismissed to their tents for a few hours of sleep. They'll be up before 5am.