Russian authorities declared the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics in a state of emergency following floods and mudslides late Tuesday.
The Emergency Situations Ministry told media outlets that the situation was “being stabilized” on Wednesday.
The ministry said about 1,800 of its workers helped clean streets and pump out water after local rivers overflowed following heavy rain, according to The Associated Press. The water level was receding, traffic returned to normal and the Sochi airport and railway station were functioning normally, according to the AP.
Previously, the floods caused power outages and evacuations and cut off bridges, according to the Moscow Times. Puddles were knee-high, according to Reuters. The rain was expected to continue through Wednesday.
Russian Olympic Committee president Alexander Zhukov said he had no doubt the city will be fully ready for the Games. The opening ceremony is Feb. 7.
A highway leading to Alpine venues was flooded by 8 feet of water, according to Reuters. Here’s a photo posted by the Moscow Times from a highway leading to Olympic venues.
Here are more photos from social media:
http://instagram.com/p/eo6dIirsGq/
http://instagram.com/p/epeqQaKyj3/
http://instagram.com/p/epD8PeAc2-/
Meanwhile, the precipitation turned to snow in the mountains, the Alpine venues’ first significant snowfall of the season. The International Olympic Committee coordination commission is in Sochi for a final inspection.
