Flooding Forces 20,000 Russians From Their Homes

Flooding has forced some 20,000 people to flee their homes in Russia’s Far East since July, the country’s Emergency Situations Ministry said Monday.

Three Far East regions some 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) east of Moscow are being evacuated, ministry spokeswoman Irina Rossius said. Authorities estimate another 14,000 people have also been affected. Some of the evacuees have moved into emergency shelters.

Alexander Frolov, chief of the Russian Meteorological Service, told news agencies on Monday that floods have reached their peak in Russia’s Amur region, which borders China, but the situation is expected to get worse in two other areas.

Authorities say the floods have already caused an estimated 2 billion rubles ($61 million) in damages.