Deadly Floods Hit Southern Russia

Russia’s worst floods in decades, triggered by heavy rainfalls, ravaged several cities and residential areas in the southern Krasnodar Region on Friday night, killing at least 170 people, mostly in the town of Krymsk. Over 5,000 homes were flooded in the region as a result of the disaster. Local residents are inclined to blame the authorities, especially after regional governor Alexander Tkachev admitted that the authorities were warned at least three hours before the flood but failed to properly warn residents. Tkachev said during the meeting with Krymsk residents that the first warnings of possible flooding came at 10 p.m. Friday, while the heaviest flood was from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday. "Do you think my dears ... that we could have warned each of you? With what forces? That's one. And two, would you have gotten up and left your homes?" Tkachev asked rhetorically. President Vladimir Putin declared a day of mourning and ordered a probe into flood deaths.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20120708/174466917.html
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/death-toll-hits-150-floods-southern-russia-16734467
http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/1976868
http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/1976868 (video; quotation at 2:25)