Russian town poses questions as flood recedes

KRYMSK, Russia | Sun Jul 8, 2012 3:36pm EDT (Reuters) - It seemed there was nothing but water in the early hours of Saturday when residents say a seven-meter wave came crashing down on the Russian Black Sea town of Krymsk, flooding a neat row of new brick houses where families lay sleeping.

In the hours that followed, the streets of Krymsk turned into raging torrents that swept along debris and drowned animals, and floodwaters filled some homes to the ceiling in this town of 57,000. At least 139 people have been killed in the deluge in Krymsk. Most of the dead were elderly people, caught unawares as they slept and drowned along with pets and livestock.

Now, as the survivors face up to the damage following torrential rain that began on Friday night, there is almost no water to be had and the city also remains without power and gas nearly two days after the flood.
"It's not so bad without power, which can be restored," said Zarzam Asatryan, who came to his neighborhood of Krymsk to help his brother salvage what was left of his home after the flood. "Without water we can't even clean up." Cars stood parked along the street with their doors wide open and their seats next to them on the ground, removed by their owners to let the soaked upholstery dry out.

"We were lying there asleep when the water came out of nowhere at 2 a.m., and right away it was knee-deep," said Berezhnoi, a cement factory worker who turned 35 on Sunday. "We barely managed to pull the children out. The dogs drowned. All our documents were lost - the car registration, work records, my army draft card. Everything was washed away - the furniture, the appliances. And the house is destroyed."