Heavy rains over the weekend in Daghestan have flooded several cities and towns, including the capital Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, Izberbash, Derbent, Dagestanskie Ogni, and the Kayakent District.
According to the authorities in the republic, the heavy rain has flooded the basements and flats of apartment buildings and private houses, in addition to damaging cars.
In Makhachkala, a wall of one of the adobe houses reportedly collapsed, while in Kaspiysk, classes at the local engineering college were cancelled due to the floods.
The rainfall also caused power outages in Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, Khasavyurt, Izberbash, Derbent, and nearby districts. Authorities also warned residents of possible water supply contaminations in Makhachkala, advising residents against drinking tap water without boiling it first.
According to eyewitnesses, in Buynaksk the rains washed away a bridge over the Shura River. Rockfalls and landslides were recorded in the Charodinsky and Kaitag districts, while a temporary bridge on the Madzhalis–Varsit–Shilansha road was destroyed after the river overflowed. In several localities, traffic movement was restricted.
Along with damage to homes and infrastructure, the storm also affected cultural heritage. In the village of Kumukh in the Laksky District, Central Daghestan, part of an ancient fortress wall dating back to the 16th–18th centuries collapsed. The wall was granted federal cultural heritage status in 2023. The head of the Laksky District, Yusup Magomedov, called the wall a ‘sacred symbol of the land’ and stated that the authorities would take measures to restore it.
According to the regional branch of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, in Makhachkala and Kaspiysk, the entrances of apartment blocks and streets in residential areas were flooded. Some videos show residents moving around on paddleboards and jet skis. In some homes, the floods reached a metre in height.
Daghestani Head Sergei Melikov described the rains as ‘anomalous’ and said that the situation remained under control. In the towns and districts most affected by the storm, public utilities have been placed on high alert. In Makhachkala, the government assessed the response of city services to the flooding as ‘fairly good’.
The Daghestani Prosecutor General’s Office has launched an inspection of the work of municipal services in Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, and Izberbash. The supervisory authority stated it would assess how the relevant agencies are fulfilling legal requirements in the sphere of housing and communal services and the protection of populations during the weather emergency.
According to official data, there have been no casualties, though residents of the republic report significant material losses. The authorities have not yet specified the overall scale of the damage or the timeframe for restoring roads, bridges, and public utility facilities.
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