Georgia’s Black Sea towns hit by heavy rain

The central streets of Georgia’s seaside town Batumi are full of water; flats are flooded and debris from landslides hit several roads in the region – the result of last night’s heavy rainfall that fell for two hours straight.

About 300 calls were made to the Batumi 112 emergency service last night during and after the heavy rain.

Rising flood waters damaged the ground floors of a number of houses and destroyed household appliances.

A series of minor landslides were reported in various areas of the western Adjara region but the debris did not block the roads.

The heavy rainfall saw officials temporarily turn off the electricity supply for safety reasons. Currently about 80 families in Batumi, 60 families in Kobuleti and 500 families in Upper Adjara do not have electricity.

Power сompany Energo-pro Georgia reported the electricity supply would be fully restored today.

The gas supply was not affected by last night’s rain.

On the ground rescue teams are cleaning the streets and pumping water out of the lower areas of flooded houses. The special services of Batumi City Hall have been working at the scene since being called out last night.

A lady asking a taxi driver to give a lift. Photo by Zura Balanchivadze/Facebook

Batumi Mayor Giorgi Ermanko said the situation was under control. He noted the rainfall had mainly damaged the marshland areas in Batumi.

Ermanko believed the flood was caused because of a failed sewerage and drainage system.

Meanwhile the heavy rain also flooded central streets in Poti, another town in the Adjara’s region. Here water rushed into the yards of several homes and flooded the first floors of some homes.

The electricity supply was suspended in Poti for several hours after lightning hit a power stations.

In Khelvachauri municipality ten families were also affected by the rainfall.

Later officials will announce the loss caused by the rainfall in Ajara.