Authorities warn about tornadoes near Sochi

Tornadoes are being formed over the Black Sea near Sochi, which can move towards the city, local authorities report. In Sochi the amount of today's rain has reached a six-week usual norm.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that today in the morning Sochi was hit by heavy rains; and the total precipitation exceeded the monthly norm. The Kherota and Mzymta Rivers have overbanked and flooded the adjacent villages, the railways station and the Adler Airport. Local residents are being evacuated.

According to Sochi authorities, the city has already had a usual six-week norm of precipitation.

"Tornados are being formed over the sea and may get out to the shore," says a statement posted on the website of Sochi administration.

Video reports have been posted on the YouTube by eyewitnesses of the flooding. Thus, records from the Adler Airport show people in terminals standing ankle-deep in water, and they are leaving the airport and walking along the street with their luggage in water reaching their knees. Cars are moving with difficulty near the airport; the water completely hides their wheels.

Let us remind you that flooding regularly occurs in the Khosta, Adler and Lazarevskoe Districts of Sochi. Locals believe that the rainfall water removal system cannot cope with a strong stream of water. According to their story, the earlier Sochi drainage system was destroyed during the Olympic construction; and even the Olympic sites were not equipped with rainfall water removal facilities.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.