120 villages are at risk of floods in Almaty Oblast

    The potential flooding area covers over 120 villages of the Almaty Oblast affecting over 40 thousand people in Kazakhstan's southern area, Tengrinews.kz reports citing the Almaty Oblast Emergency Situations Department.
    “A survey to identify areas of potential flooding of villages, facilities and territories has identified 145 flood-prone areas, including: 91 near river basins, 25 around water reservoirs and 29 within reach of snowmelt runoffs (the total area of 8,647 square kilometers). The potential flooding area covers 122 villages with 40.5 thousand people and 7,127 facilities,” the department stated February 12.
    According to the department, there have already been some initial cases of snowmelt flood threats to private homes. Melted snow accumulated near several houses and public facilities after heavy snowfall and rapid melting in the Mussabek and Maulenbai villages on January 28.
    “The snow cover is currently 1.5-2 times higher than the standard level at the whole territory of Almaty oblast. Besides, according to KazHydroMet (national weather service) the precipitations level above the average annual standard and the temperature increase to 11 degrees Centigrade above zero are expected at the territory of Zhetyssu in February,” the department stated, www.tengrinews.kz said.