Record Snowfall Swallows Apartments, State of Emergency Declared... City Paralyzed in This Country

Snowfall Buries Kamchatka Up to Apartment Heights
Authorities Declare State of Emergency Across the City

A heavy snowfall, the first in decades, has covered the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East. Photo by X Capture

A record-breaking snowfall has paralyzed the entire city on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East.

According to the Moscow Times on January 20, a powerful snowstorm has been sweeping through Kamchatka since January 13, resulting in more than 2 meters of snow falling in a single day. Major buildings and roads have been completely buried under the snow. All infrastructure has been trapped, effectively shutting down the city’s functions.

There have also been casualties due to the heavy snow. On January 15, two people, including a 63-year-old man, were buried and killed by snow that fell from the roof of a two-story apartment building. Vera Polyakova, head of the Kamchatka Hydrometeorological Center, explained, "The last time we saw such an extreme snowfall was in the early 1970s. This is an extremely rare event."

A heavy snowfall, the first in decades, has covered the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East. Photo by X Capture

Snow has piled up to the height of a ten-story apartment building, leaving apartment complexes either buried or transformed into what looks like ski resorts. On social media, children have been seen sledding down snow-covered slopes that resemble mountains within the apartment complexes. Videos have also been shared of residents opening their balcony doors to retrieve wine stored in the snow.

International social media users reacted with amazement, commenting, "Is this real or AI-generated?" "That’s an incredible amount of snow," and "How do people even live there?"

In response to the record snowfall, city authorities have declared a state of emergency across the city. As a result, air and public transportation services have been disrupted. Authorities have asked residents to keep children indoors, and classes at schools and universities have either been canceled or moved online. Many businesses have also switched to remote work.