Ex-Olympic City of Sochi Hit by Flash Floods: State of Emergency Declared

Overnight flash flooding in the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi has affected virtually all of the city's large scale infrastructure projects, including major highways, the city's rail terminal, the airport, the F1 race track and the Olympic Park.

City administrators have introduced a state of emergency in three districts of the city most severely affected by flooding, including Central, Adler and Khostinsky. The areas most heavily affected by the flooding face evacuation.

Photos and videos from the scene show the extent of the flooding.

В Адлере и Кудепсте введён режим ЧС в связи с подтоплением #Сочи #ливень #потоп pic.twitter.com/49rpbmPh2p

— Вести Кубань (@kubantv) 25 июня 2015

(Adler)

В аэропорту Сочи около тысячи пассажиров ждут вылета из-за ливня http://t.co/NcIuDcSlXf pic.twitter.com/H7JDYOIqVq

— События дня (@GazetaRu) 25 июня 2015

(Sochi International Airport)

BRKNG Сочи готовят к эвакуации https://t.co/BV5Z3VKG9j pic.twitter.com/bfmI7e7CF8

— Самый Быстрый Слон (@FastSlon) 25 июня 2015

ФОТОГАЛЕРЕЯ. В Сочи произошло наводнение http://t.co/jcyjhDU8Lp pic.twitter.com/wmvA0UDyHm

— События дня (@GazetaRu) 25 июня 2015

Пост Олимпийский Сочи pic.twitter.com/2k3DCZyf5r

— Сер 3-M (@Ser3_M) 25 июня 2015

Russian Railways has halted all trains to Adler Station, and Sochi's International Airport has reported the flooding, combined with poor weather conditions, have made both ingoing and outgoing flights difficult to organize.

Local emergency services are reported to have dispatched over four dozen troops equipped with all-terrain vehicles to the city center and to remote villages in the area to assist with the evacuation.

Residents in areas of the city have told Russian media that water, gas and electricity has been temporarily shut off.

(Adler Rail Terminal)

Сочи. Сегодня. Мы продолжаем ежедневную рубрику — потопы России. pic.twitter.com/D8WzHgrO5I

— Ойген (@OigenFildman) 25 июня 2015

The mayor's office official press service warned that over the next several hours it does not rule out the possibility of waterspouts rising up from the sea and crashing onto the coast, and is subsequently asking residents and guests of the resort city to stay in their homes and to avoid areas near the coast.

Meteorologists expect heavy rainfall to continue for about one more day.

Last week, severe flooding in the Georgian capital of Tblisi resulted in the deaths of 19 people, and caused extensive damage to the city. Heavy rainfall has also affected areas of Russia's Krasnodar region over the past few days, with meteorologists expecting the weather to clear up in the near future.