Russia's Olympic city of Sochi hit by flooding

RT
Thu, 25 Jun 2015 20:49 UTC

Floods in Sochi

Local authorities in Sochi, Russia, are struggling to cope with a flash flood that came after two days of torrential rain in the host city of last year's Winter Olympic Games.

The rain has intensified in the last few hours, with some local rivers rising as high as 1.2 meters above the norm, Interfax reported.

Videos from the region showed streets full of cars submerged by torrents of water.

Sochi International Airport reported that dispatching and accepting flights have been problematic due to the weather conditions and the flood.

Floodwater in Sochi

The city's railway station and the newly built F1 racing track were affected as well.

Local emergency services dispatched over 50 troops and nine all-terrain vehicles to remote villages around Sochi and to the city's center to help with evacuation in affected areas.