Flooding impacts three rural settlements in the vicinity of Tuapse
In the early hours of August 3, 2025, the Tuapse Municipal District in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, was hit by heavy rainfall that caused the Defan River to overflow, resulting in severe flooding and flash floods.
The flooding affected several settlements, including the villages of Moldavankovka, Novomikhailovsky, and Deffanovka, as well as Lermontovo and Olginka. The floodwaters submerged hundreds of buildings, causing significant infrastructure damage, such as the collapse of bridges, most notably the bridge over the Shapsukho River in Lermontovo, which isolated around 300 residential buildings.
The flooding also disrupted traffic and road access throughout the district, complicating evacuation and rescue operations. To mitigate the impact, a declared state of emergency was issued for the Tuapse district, and over 200 personnel were mobilized with dozens of equipment units for rescue, evacuation, flood damage mitigation, and infrastructure restoration.
Temporary water distribution points were set up in affected villages due to shortages, but some residents reported delays and a lack of visible assistance in certain areas. The crisis was further worsened by tornado sightings near the coast of Sochi and Tuapse, adding to the damage and danger.
The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations for Krasnodar Krai issued a statement regarding the flooding, and a contraflow system is now in place towards Krasnodar on the M-4 "Don" highway. Population notification is currently underway in the affected areas.
As of now, the exact number of flooded houses and any potential casualties or damage is still being confirmed. There is also a risk of waterspouts forming over the Black Sea near the coast. A landslide occurred on the M-4 "Don" highway in the 1414 km area towards Djubga, temporarily closing traffic. Flooding is observed on sections km 21-22 and km 32-34 of the A-147 Djubga - Sochi highway in Tuapse District, causing traffic disruptions.
The weather in the region is expected to remain unpredictable, with very heavy rain, heavy showers with thunderstorms, hail, and gusts up to 25 meters per second possible today. The storm warning in Krasnodar Krai remains in effect until the end of July 4.
Scientists monitoring the weather predict continued heavy rain, thunderstorms, hail, and strong winds in the Tuapse Municipal District, which could exacerbate the ongoing climate-change-induced flooding affecting settlements like Moldavankovka, Novomikhailovsky, Deffanovka, Lermontovo, and Olginka. The environmental science community is closely watching the potential formation of waterspouts near the Black Sea coast, as these phenomena could lead to further environmental damage and danger.
