Unprecedented snowfalls that hit in January put the public utilities of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in an extremely difficult situation. In their attempts to clear the roads, they created a paradoxical and dangerous situation: traffic lights and road signs were completely covered with snow dumps. Footage published by residents shows how pedestrians are forced to walk along well-trodden paths at the level of infrastructure hidden under the snow.
The disaster the region faced was the most powerful in the last 60 years. About 150% of the monthly precipitation fell, and according to data as of January 20, from 51 to 133 cm of snow accumulated in Petropavlovsk, which led to the introduction of a state of emergency at the municipal level. The governor of the region, Vladimir Solodov, said that he had decided to turn to the federal government for help in eliminating the consequences of the “snow apocalypse.” Cyclones of similar strength were last observed on the peninsula only in the early 1970s.
The authorities have not yet announced when the city plans to clear the rubble that has formed around bus stops and road infrastructure. In the meantime, in the context of the ongoing fight against the elements, drivers and pedestrians have to be especially careful on the streets, where familiar landmarks are under multi-meter snowdrifts. Earlier it became known that the Ikon Tires company has released four new winter tires for Russia.
