Emergency sirens sounded a warning to residents in the Black Sea resort after the torrential rain caused the rivers in the region to overflow and people were evacuated from about 50 homes in one part of the city, as further evacuation vehicles were put on standby to transport locals in other areas to temporary accommodation.

Stretching traffic jams blocked several highways and a number of flights were cancelled at the regional airport, while a local power company said it had to cut off power in five regions to avoid electrical hazards.

Meanwhile, the Olympic Games Transport Directorate said emergency workers are trying to salvage the road between the Sochi 2014 locations of Adler and Krasnaya Polyana after it was blocked by a mudslide.

Emergency staff are working to pump water away from roads and residential areas


Nearly 2,000 Emergency Situations Ministry staff are involved in the cleanup operation on the streets, pumping out water to reduce the flooding on roads and in residential areas, while the situation continues to be monitored with the help of unmanned drones.

Severe weather conditions are forecast to continue throughout today, but Sochi Deputy Mayor Anatoly Rykov said, "the situation is under control", while a statement on the city's official website said the airport and railway are now functioning as normal.

The emergency comes as International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission for Sochi 2014 flies into the city for its last inspection of preparations for the Games, which are set to get underway in just over four months time on February 7.

The IOC told insidethegames that the visit to Sochi is "going according to plan and is not affected by the flooding".

Torrential rain last put Sochi in a state of emergency in March when construction staff working on the Olympic site were evacuated from their camp after it was overcome by flooding.

Sochi 2014 was unavailable for comment.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
September 2013: Putin admits to "ongoing glitches" as preparations for Sochi 2014 continue
October 2012: IOC Coordination Commission remains highly impressed with Sochi 2014 preparations