2015 will be remembered by the whole world far from the best of times. This period in the history of mankind was marked by large-scale natural disasters. Problems were in all corners of the planet. Somewhere it was an abnormal heat, which turned into a long drought. It became the cause of large-scale forest fires, fires of peat bogs, heavy smoke and smog, a length of many kilometers. Somewhere, on the contrary, people had to face unprecedented rains, hurricanes and landslides. A similar tragedy occurred in Georgia. The flood occurred in the summer and caused multiple destruction and loss of life.
The result of the summer flood in Tbilisi
The tragedy in the capital of Georgia became known on the same day. The flood in Tbilisi occurred on the night of June 13-14, 2015. It was night time that became an aggravating condition. Many people slept peacefully in their homes, because no one expected such a catastrophe. And although this natural cataclysm cannot be called the largest in the history of the country, but it has become a landmark for every resident of Tbilisi.
The flood in Georgia claimed the lives of 19 people, causing the death of dozens of animals in the city zoo and hundreds of pets and stray dogs, cats.
The paralysis that occurred in the city stopped the lives of many people and organizations for several days, and all the consequences of the rescue, utilities and volunteers had to be eliminated for several weeks. According to various sources, the losses caused by the flood in Tbilisi are estimated at more than $ 20 million (according to some reports, they reach 45 million). It is impossible to fully appreciate the scale of the tragedy. As a result of the flood, residential buildings, shops, public organizations, parks and squares were affected.
Flood classification
Scientists distinguish four main types of floods. Each of them carries a danger to a person, his property and lifestyle. Depending on the magnitude of the incident, the consequences are very serious or only slightly pronounced. What types of floods are there? According to standards, they differ among themselves by the level of water in the rivers and how much it spills into the nearby territory. So, low floods are not a strong cause for concern, do not require the evacuation of the population, pets. They can occur quite often and do not make big changes in the usual way of life. However, they can cause minor damage, because during such floods people lose their crops, water floods the cellars, basements of houses.
High flooding is more serious. When water rises in the river to such a level that it threatens to flood agricultural land, nearby houses, buildings, sometimes you have to resettle the population.
Hazardous floods
Outstanding and catastrophic types of floods speak their name. Their consequences are very dangerous. Such flooding is forcing special services to carry out rescue operations, mass resettlement of people. In such cases, the damage amounts to millions. It happens that the flood occurs absolutely unexpectedly and people can not save either personal property or documents and are left with nothing in the end. Fortunately, such tragedies are quite rare. In Russia, they are recorded no more than once every 100-200 years. Although there are some regions that fall into a constant risk zone, cataclysms of various intensities occur there almost every year.
The flood in the summer of 2015 in Georgia cannot be called catastrophic. Water arrived in a matter of hours and quickly left, however, the situation worsened, because various debris, sand, clay, and fragments of trees mixed in with water.
Why did it happen?
According to official figures, due to heavy rainfall, the Vere River overflowed its banks. However, many are wondering why she surged into the city. A landslide descending from the mountains blocked the river gorge. Water constantly resided and at one moment broke through this artificial barrier. Uprooting trees along the way, it was saturated with stones, dirt and other impurities, turning into a murderous stream.
Some scholars believe that one of the indirect reasons that triggered the terrible events in Georgia (the June flood) was the activity of man and his interference in nature. Creating a convenient infrastructure for himself, a person destroys natural chains. Paving roads in mountain ranges, deforestation, disruption of river flow - all these factors contribute to the displacement of normal and natural processes in nature.
Dealing with the consequences
With the horror of the night, when the power and anger of nature fell on Tbilisi, the authorities had to fight for more than one day. Assistance was offered to the country by international organizations and many friendly countries, but Georgia itself managed, and with the help of its specialists it was able to overcome the first difficulties.
In many ways, volunteers quickly helped to eliminate the consequences. People voluntarily came to the rescue of the Ministry of Emergencies and municipal organizations, raked up rubble, cleaned roads. Those who could not help with their hands carried humanitarian aid to those who needed it. According to local activists, in those days the country rallied as never before, showing the world an example of masculinity and mutual assistance.
Little brothers
In this terrible incident, many animals died. This event demonstrates how carefully people should take care of those who are tamed. And this lesson was taught to the world by Georgia.
The zoo flood was also taken by surprise. The number of dead animals is in the tens. That night, many animals scattered throughout the city. The police, and employees of the zoo, and volunteers were engaged in catching the fugitives.
The menagerie staff showed their best professional side. According to official figures, several of them died. The list of the dead includes a woman who, not recovering from the operation, went to save her wards, but she could not survive.
Many foreign and Russian nurseries promised to help tidy up the zoo, as well as provide new animals.
Deja vu
Six months after the summer events in Tbilisi, the country was again shocked by an emergency. A new flood occurred in Georgia in November. Unprecedented precipitation again became its cause. Only now snowfalls and a strong gusty wind joined the rains. Significant damage this time was avoided. Nevertheless, about 50 thousand households in the western region of the country were left without electricity. In addition, traffic on the roads was very difficult due to blockages and flooding.