Heavy snow, avalanches lead to traffic restrictions, power outage in northwest Georgia

Heavy overnight snow and minor avalanches between Monday and Tuesday have led to traffic restrictions on sections of roads in Georgia’s northwest, where villages have also been left without power, the Mayor of Svaneti province’s Mestia municipality said on Tuesday.

Kapiton Zhorzholiani said the Jvari-Khaishi section of the Zugdidi-Jvari-Mestia highway between the western city and the highland location had been closed for all traffic following occurrences of avalanche on areas of the road.

He also said a number of vehicles were being evacuated from the affected sections, adding special hardware was being sent to locations for further efforts.

Several vehicles have been stranded by heavy snow in the area nearby the municipality’s village of Nakra, Zhorzholiani also noted, adding no individuals or cars had been caught by the avalanche.

The Mayor also said roads had been closed in the direction of the village of Khaishi, where the risk of avalanche and low visibility meant authorities could not dispatch clearing hardware immediately.

The overnight precipitation also led to power outages in the area, with up to 40 villages left without electricity. Speaking in the late hours between Monday and Tuesday, Zhorzholiani said crews would begin work on restoring power in the morning.