A weekend storm that pounded the Black Sea region toppled trees, tore down power lines and flooded coastal areas, leaving more than a half-million people without power Monday, officials and media reports said.
The storm was one of the most powerful in the region since modern record-keeping began, the head of Russia's national meteorological service told the state news agency RIA Novosti.
On Sunday, that same weather system had created blizzard-like conditions Sunday in Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria and Serbia, dumping snow and causing power outages and fatal traffic accidents.
Emergency conditions were declared in several regions of the Crimean Peninsula, Tatyana Lyubetskaya, a Russia-installed official at the Crimean environmental monitoring department, told Tass. With strong winds forecast to continue Monday, Crimean officials told people to stay home as government facilities, including schools and hospitals, were closed.
At least one person died in Crimea after going out to look at the waves in a village near the town of Sudak in the southern part of the peninsula, a Russia-installed official said, while other people were hospitalized or forced from their homes.
Roman Vilfand, the head of Russia’s national meteorological service, told RIA Novosti that a similar storm hit the region in November 1854.
The Chernomorske area of western Crimea was without water and central heating after pumping stations lost power, according to Natalia Pisareva, the head of the region. There also were reports of a problem at a gas pipeline in Saky in western Crimea.
About 800 exotic fish died from thermal shock at an aquarium in Sevastopol as cold seawater flooded the facility, the Crimea 24 TV channel and RIA Novosti reported.
Ukraine's Ministry of Energy said more than 2,000 towns and villages were without electricity in 16 regions, including Kyiv, Odesa and Mykolaiv, with more strong winds and snow predicted.
In Serbia, the snowstorm cut off villages and left thousands without power.
In Bulgaria, the storm dumped up almost 16 inches of snow and downed power lines and closed schools. More than 1,000 people had to be rescued from their vehicles.
In southern Russia, the storm sent waves flooding into the beach resort of Sochi, tore the roof off a five-story building in Anapa and damaged homes and schools in Kuban, the state news agency said. It also caused a cargo ship to run aground near Anapa.
And Moscow regional Gov. Andrei Vorobyov said about 3,000 people worked to clear the streets in that city after the heavy snowfall.
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