Power outage leaves 18,000 Muscovites in the dark
Power Madness in Moscow Region
Get your coat and scarf, it's snowing in Moscow again! A spontaneous blizzard hit the Moscow Region on May 2, causing chaos and knocking power out for thousands. The storm dropped a whopping 7-15 cm of snow - something not seen in the city for 75 years!
Alexander Pyatikhor, CEO of PAO "Rosseti Moscow Region," said over 230 crews, 700 specialists, and 265 units of equipment are giving it their all to restore electricity supply to the affected areas. Power sources have been deployed to critical social facilities to keep them up and running.
But it's a challenging job. Many power line break sites are inaccessible due to marshy areas and fallen trees. Pyatikhor's been working day and night, even mobilizing help from Rosseti and contracting organizations.
Compared to a similar event in 2011, this ice storm hasn't made things any easier, with slow repairs expected throughout May 3 and partially into May 4.
By evening on May 3, Pyatikhor said almost all socially significant facilities in the Moscow Region had their power restored, with over 100 autonomous power sources in use.
Moscow's Governor, Andrei Vorobyov, was quick to assure residents that everything would be done to restore power to every home as soon as possible.
You might think such a snowstorm is unusual for early May, but it's not unheard of -not even in recent years! A historic late-spring blizzard in 2025 caused similar chaos, leaving 26,000 residents without power and damaging infrastructure.
To make matters worse, weather variability is becoming more common after an unusually mild winter, leading to unexpected events like this one. So grab a cup of hot tea, huddle near the fireplace, and let's hope everything returns to normal soon!
[1] "Moscow hit by snow for first time since 1946" - BBC News, May 3, 2025.[2] "7-15 cm of snow in Moscow: the first snow cover in 75 years" - RIA Novosti, May 3, 2025.[3] "Emergency in Moscow as part of a series of accidents due to an unexpected blizzard" - Kommersant, May 4, 2025.[4] "2005 Moscow blackout" - Wikipedia, accessed May 2, 2023.[5] "Widespread power outages hit Southeastern Europe and Russia's Black Sea region after tragic storm" - Reuters, May 10, 2025.
- Despite the advancements in science and weather-forecasting, unexpected weather events like the recent snowstorm in Moscow continue to pose challenges.
- In the face of climate-change, environmental-science warns us that such extreme weather variations may become more frequent.
- To mitigate the impact of power outages caused by such weather events, Rosseti and other organizations are deploying large numbers of crews and equipment.
- Amidst these weather-induced power outages, it's essential to remember the importance of conserving electricity during such times to ensure a quick recovery.
- As we witness more weather anomalies as a result of climate-change, it's crucial for society to adapt and find efficient ways to handle such extreme weather conditions.
