Critical masses: abnormal floods covered Transbaikalia and Yakutia
In Yakutia, abnormal floods continue for the third day — the water in the Indigirka River and its tributaries has overflowed its banks and reached a critical level, and the population is being evacuated. More than 100 local residents have already been evacuated from the flooded areas. Floods have also begun in the Trans-Baikal Territory: since July 4, 2025, an emergency regime has been in effect in four districts there, and since July 15 it has been introduced in Chita. About how the consequences are eliminated and how long the floods will last — in the material of Izvestia.
What is the situation in Yakutia?
In eight settlements of Yakutia, 347 courtyards, 93 residential buildings and two sections of highways were flooded, the republican Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported. More than 100 local residents, including 31 children, have been evacuated. Nine temporary accommodation facilities are equipped for them. An emergency regime has been introduced in the Oymyakon district, and a high—alert regime has been introduced in two more.
Flooding began due to rising water levels in the Indigirka River, which is located in the northeast of Yakutia, and in two of its tributaries. On July 16, the level at the hydro post (a set of equipment for automatic measurement of hydrological parameters), located near the village of Honuu in Momsky district, was 637 cm, which is 37 cm higher than the mark of a dangerous natural phenomenon, the Yakut Department of Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring reported on the Telegram channel.
They noted that in the section of the Indigirka River within the Oymyakon district, the water level rose by 40-60 cm per day and reached 563 cm. Five settlements were in the flood zone: Ortho-Balagan, Kuydusun, Bereg-Yurdya, Oymyakon, as well as a microdistrict in the village of Ust-Nera.
"For preventive purposes, 20 people, including 12 children, were evacuated from the village of Kuydusun, 11 people from the village of Ust-Nera, six of them children. More than 40 people and 15 pieces of equipment, including watercraft, have been involved in eliminating the consequences," the Ministry of Emergency Situations said.
In the Yakut village of Khara-Tulum, cows escaped from the flood by climbing a hill, local residents said on social networks. The animals have been without food for several days now because they can't get out of there.
In the Olekminsky district, in the upper reaches of the Tyan and Tokko rivers, water may rise, and the same is true in the Eveno-Bytantaysky and Verkhoyansky districts.
The situation in the flood-affected regions is still difficult, the head of Yakutia, Aisen Nikolaev, wrote on the Telegram channel. He stressed that as soon as the water level allows, work will begin on damage assessment.
Floods are atypical for the Indigirka River, said Roman Vilfand, scientific director of the Russian Hydrometeorological Center.
— The Indigirka is one of the northernmost rivers, there are extremely rare floods. The current situation is due to the fact that in the center of Yakutia and in the mountainous regions where the sources of the Indigirka River are located, there was intense precipitation, they accumulated in large quantities," he explained.
According to him, Yakutia experienced strong cyclone activity throughout May, June and early July 2025. This led to the fact that the soil became waterlogged and stopped absorbing precipitation. In the next few days, the water level may still remain at a dangerous level, but there will be no increase.
Floods in the Trans-Baikal Territory
Powerful floods also covered the Trans-Baikal Territory. A regional emergency regime has been in effect in Chita since July 15, 2025, the press service of the regional government reported.
According to the regional Ministry of Natural Resources, the rise of the river was observed near the city of Chita — by the evening of July 12, the water level rose to 403 cm. For comparison, two days earlier, the indicator was 294 cm lower. To prevent flooding of the city, all the shut-off devices on the drainage channels were blocked.
"Due to the past rains, a stream of water descended to the villages of Verkhchita, Burgen and Ugdan, but the water did not go beyond the riverbank. The water level in the Chita River has risen near the Shishkino-Ostrov garden association, and there is a threat of flooding of nearby dacha cooperatives in the area of the Ostrov garden association," the regional government noted.
On Sunday, July 13, the water level in the Chitinka River reached a peak of 407 cm, and then dropped to 404 cm for the first time in several days. According to the Governor of Transbaikalia, Alexander Osipov, the peak water level formed after heavy precipitation in Chita and Tungokochen districts turned out to be 2 cm higher than in 2018.
According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, 203 household plots in 17 suburban cooperatives were flooded in Chita and Chita district — more than 20 people were evacuated. At the same time, the number of flood victims this year has decreased six to seven times, the head of the region noted.
"On July 17, in the Central district of Chita, the commission examines houses and areas affected by floods. Experts will determine the damage and make appropriate payments," the regional government's Telegram channel noted.
Local residents affected by the disaster were advised to stay at their summer cottages at this time in order to take commissions to assess the damage caused.
"The most important thing is the organization of flood relief: restoration of roads, payment of social benefits to victims, assistance in cases where roads or infrastructure facilities have been washed away, as well as restoration of normal functioning of settlements," said Governor Alexander Osipov.
Previously, the flood emergency regime was in effect only in four districts of the Trans-Baikal Territory — Chita, Karymsky, Tungokochensky and Duldurginsky, where it was introduced on July 4, 2025.
"For the floods that took place on July 2 and 5 in the Karymsky and Chita districts, payments of more than 15,000 and 78,000 rubles were to be made to 232 Transbaikalians," they clarified during an operational meeting with the participation of the head of the region on July 14, 2025.
In the Trans-Baikal Territory, such a flood situation is rare, said Roman Vilfand, head of the Hydrometeorological Center of the Russian Federation. He noted that the region had generally had difficult climatic conditions this year.
— At the end of March, the weather was too hot and the snow began to fall early. And now there is intense precipitation, which is also atypical and not typical for this region," he said.
However, according to the expert's forecast, precipitation is not expected in the next few days in Transbaikalia, so the situation there will improve significantly.
What is the flood situation in the country?
A total of 450 settlements in 50 regions have been affected this year, the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported. In 2024, water reached 1,205 settlements in 64 regions of the country.
A particularly difficult situation with flooding this spring has developed in Bashkortostan, Irkutsk, Omsk, Tyumen and Chelyabinsk regions, as well as in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug.
"The situation was affected by congestion and rain floods," the ministry said. "Specialists from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations eliminated the consequences, evacuated residents and participated in the organization of life support for the population."
In summer, any regions are at risk of flooding, Roman Vilfand explained. Because it's the rainiest time of the year.
— In summer, the temperature is high, so explosive convection occurs (vertical movement of air masses caused by temperature differences), as a result of which clouds form quickly and precipitation falls, — said the expert.
He noted that flooding is a common occurrence in the south of the country. Therefore, according to him, in some areas of Sochi and in all the republics of the North Caucasus in the near future, the water level in the rivers may reach, though not dangerous, but unfavorable levels.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
