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Amur region floods may repeat devastating 2013 scenario, Emergencies Ministry warns

In 2013, powerful flash floods hit the Far East at the end of the summer, resulting in the largest on record flooding

MOSCOW, July 26. /TASS/. Flash floods on the Zeya River in the Russian Far Eastern Amur region may repeat the scenario of 2013, when five Far Eastern regions were hit by powerful floods, the head of the Ministry for Emergency Situations’ regional directorate, Matvey Gibadulin, said on Friday.

"The situation on Zeya may develop under the 2013 scenario," he told a session chaired by Minister for Emergency Situations Yevgeny Zinichev.

Back in 2013, powerful flash floods hit the Far East at the end of the summer, resulting in the largest on record flooding. It involved five regions of the Far Eastern Federal District, with the Amur region, the Jewish autonomous region and the Khabarovsk region being the hardest hit.

According to the emergencies ministry, 158 residential buildings and 712 household plots remain partially flooded in two regions of the federal district as of July 26. Four socially significant facilities and 17 sections of local roads have been inundated.

Rescuers have evacuated 740 people from the flood-hit areas. A total of 249 people, including 128 children have been accommodated in temporary accommodation centers. Rainfalls with wind gusts up to 23 meters per second have been battering five regions of the Far Eastern Federal District since July 20.

A state of emergency was declared in the Amur region over flooding on Thursday.