KHABAROVSK — Waters of the Amur River near the flood-hit city of Khabarovsk in Russia's Far East rose six more centimeters over the past 24 hours, local meteorologists said in a statement Wednesday.
"As of 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, water levels of the Amur River near the city of Khabarovsk stood at 808 centimeters," the statement said adding that the level is expected to peak at 830 centimeters by Sept. 6-9.
The current level already surpassed the record mark of 642 centimeters — registered in 1897 — by almost two meters, while the critical mark of the water level for Khabarovsk stands at six meters.
Almost 60 towns and villages are flooded across the Khabarovsk Territory and over 2,000 residential buildings have been affected. Over 3,200 people have been evacuated from flooded areas.
The current spike in water levels near the city of Khabarovsk may partly be the result of dams on tributaries of the Amur in Chinese territory releasing water in late August, the Federal Meteorological Service said Tuesday. Northern China, which borders Russia's Far East along the Amur River, has also experienced severe flooding in recent weeks with reports of up to 85 deaths.
