VLADIVOSTOK, the Far East, August 25 (Itar-Tass) - Water levels in the Amur River near the city of Khabarovsk stood at 723 centimeters at 08:00 local time on Sunday, a source at the local Emergencies Ministry department told Itar-Tass.

Water rose by 2 centimeters over the past night and would continue rising by 5-10 centimeters daily to reach the mark of 789 centimeters by August 28.

In the meantime, more heavy rains are expected next week. They may provoke a new rise of water in the basins of the Amur’s main tributaries, the Sungari and the Ussuri, as well as in the Amur River itself. Hydrologists do not rule out that the water level may exceed an 8-meter mark. The flood peak is expected in Khabarovsk on September 3.

At the same time, a new flood wave is moving down the Amur River. A difficult situation is unfolding on the Khabarovsk- Komsomolsk-on-Amur highway, the press service of the government of the Khabarovsk region told Itar-Tass. Night traffic will be restricted on several road sections simultaneously for the sake of erecting protective structures.

Viktor Ishayev, the Russian president’s special envoy in the Far Easter Federal District, said that 85, 000 people had been hit by floods in the Amur region. More than 73,000 people needed compensations.

“It is necessary to estimate the extent of damage and prepare a report on how many homes have been damaged beyond repairs. It is necessary to start doing paperwork for the construction of engineering facilities, which would help us avoid losses in similar situations in future,” Ishayev said.