On June 28, a devastating series of flash floods caused by a foot of rain in southwestern Ukraine killed 30, including 6 six children, while damaging more than 40,000 homes.
This clip from Ukrainian TV shows just part of problem.
The Baptist churches in Chernivtsi have been putting together sacks of staples - oil, water, salt, sugar, buckwheat, pasta and cornmeal to distribute in some of the villages. I know Bob went out one day to help distribute and I went out with the youth on Tuesday to Gorcha (sp?).
The town isn't even on a river. Crab Orchard Creek has a stronger flow, but unlike our creeks, this one was in a deep ravine which wrapped around the city on three sides. The flood waters hit the homes we visited not from the river side, but from the town side before rejoining the main channel.
The water lines were five and six feet deep on some of the houses we visited dropping off food and talking and praying with the residents. Most of the houses were masonry construction so the walls are still good, but the floors have to be taken out and the dirt underneath dried. Inside the plaster has to be re-done, but the furniture and electronics are usually totally destroyed.
Some of the people we talked to had just 15 minutes warning as the waters rose so quickly. Others had no warning since the flash floods took place at night. One elderly couple told us they were in the water for more than five hours.
According to news accounts (and the Ukrainiana Blog), flood waters damaged 40,601 homes, 360 vehicular bridges, 561 pedestrian bridges, 423 miles of roads and 83,724 of farmland.
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