June 13: One year on from deadly flood in Tbilisi
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Today marks exactly one year since Georgia’s capital Tbilisi was hit by a deadly flash flood, which turned out to be the city’s worst human and infrastructural disaster in years.
Twenty-one people lost their lives in the flood on the evening of June 13, 2015. The bodies of two of these victims have still not been found.
More than 800 people from up to 200 families lost their homes or businesses in the natural disaster.
Tbilisi Zoo lost almost half of its animal population when the flood waters swamped the animal park in the late hours of June 13.
The disaster damaged homes, businesses and other infrastructure on more than 20 streets in central Tbilisi.
On a wider scale, the World Bank evaluation estimated the flood caused more than 100 million GEL worth of damage on Tbilisi infrastructure.
Volunteers clean up a flood-hit Tbilisi park. Photo by Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili remembered the June 13, 2015 disaster at today’s Government meeting.
He said this time last year the people in capital Tbilisi were facing one of the worst natural disasters the country has seen, and it was "consolatory” to remember the unity that followed the disaster.
- PHOTO STORY: Tbilisi flood: Solidarity vs disaster
"The solidarity our younger generation showed at that horrible time was really historic,” the Prime Minister said.
"I think saying thank you is not appropriate here. The only thing I can do is to express my admiration for each of those who contributed to handling the results of the disaster.”
The Prime Minister stressed 65 families who had lost their homes had already received compensation from the Government to buy new houses.
"The vast majority of those affected have already been re-accommodated and renovations are continuing at others’ houses,” Kvirikashvili said.
He noted more than 40 million GEL had spent on restorations of infrastructure destroyed in the flood. Kvirikashvili also thanked the foreign governments who offered financial support to Tbilisi following the natural disaster.
A flood-hit house in Tbilisi. Photo by Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Today’s Governmental meeting discussed the Interior Ministry’s initiative to offer better social packages to rescue officers and firefighters. In this initiative if an officer dies while on duty, their family, just like in police officers’ case, will receive 100,000 GEL immediate compensation and 1,000 GEL per month.
Commenting on this initiative Kvirikashvili said: "Of course, I wish for a peaceful service for every rescue officer but I think it’s important to increase the state’s responsibility in front of them”.
He then mentioned the effort and sacrifice of Zurab (Zura) Muzashvili, the rescue officer who lost his life after saving seven people in the June 13 flood.
Meanwhile entry to Tbilisi Zoo is free today for children and adults, and the animal park is today hosting several charity events to commemorate the day.
Dozens of people have been helicoptered to safety after a major landslide isolated Akhaldaba village, which lies nine kilometres away from capital Tbilisi, from the rest of the region.
A department within Georgia's Ministry of Justice is utilising a small plane to take aerial photographs of the Vere River basin to better analyse the scale of the damage caused in the June 13 flood.
Georgia has announced an international tender for a project worth almost 4 million GEL to take an aerial photograph of the country.
At least eight people have been killed and dozens remain missing following yesterday’s major flooding in Tbilisi.
A disaster is unfolding in Georgia's capital Tbilisi. Heavy rain is causing major damage in Tbilisi's Vake-Saburtalo district. Roads have been swamped, cars have been washed away and houses have been severely flooded. Several animals have also escaped from Tbilisi Zoo.
Almost six days has passed since Tbilisi Zoo was hit by a flash flood, causing the death of hundreds of animals and leaving the animal park in a state of complete chaos.
Austrian experts arrived in Georgia today to study the risk of future flooding in capital Tbilisi – 10 months on from the deadly flood that ravaged Tbilisi and left hundreds homeless.
Exactly three months on from the flood that destroyed Tbilisi Zoo, the animal park has reopened today.
What has been done to restore Tbilisi after June 13 flood?
In the past 12 months the Georgian Government, foreign governments, private companies and ordinary citizens have united to help Tbilisi rise up from disaster and return to its former glory.
Georgia is offering better social packages to its rescue officers and firefighters who dedicate their lives to serving the country. Parliament adopted changes to increase the state support for families of emergency respondents who are killed on duty.
Life in Borjomi, central Georgia’s resort town that’s famous for its mineral waters, is returning to normal for residents and guests after a chaotic 24 hours of heavy rain, hail, flooding and widespread power cuts.
Stage one of reinforcing works along the edge of the Vere River have been completed - almost 18 months after the river burst its banks in the deadly flash flood on June 13 last year, leaving 21 people dead, two still missing and city infrastructure heavily damaged.
The Government of Hungary has donated 32,000 euros in support of families affected by a major flash flood in the summer of 2015 in Tbilisi.
The Municipal Development Fund of Georgia is renovating Mizuri Park in Tbilisi, which was damaged during the June 13, 2015 flood.