Swollen rivers cause major floods in western Georgia

Flooded homes have been evacuated in several villages as swollen rivers in western Georgia keep rising.

Homes, shops and businesses were underwater after water levels in Rioni, Adjaristskali and Khobistskali rivers in Georgia’s Imereti, Adjara and Samegrelo regions respectively rose.

"I have not seen river Adjaristskali this swollen for ages,” Keda Municipality head Davit Dumbadze said, adding the flood caused serious traffic problems on the central road.

People in the Imereti region were evacuated from their villages by boats as the roads were flooded. There, heavy rain damaged cornfields, leaving locals with no harvest.

In Samegrelo, the Chkhorotsku-Zugdidi central highway was paralysed following the swelling of the Khobistskali river. Water flooded bridges and energy poles and several villages were left without electricity. There were major infrastructural damages as well.

Heavy machinery were mobilised in each flood-hit region and were now waiting for the weather to get better to begin cleaning efforts.