Dagestan & Chechnya Floods

Overview

Beginning April 5, 2026, a powerful cyclone over the Caspian Sea brought the heaviest rainfall in over a century to Russia's North Caucasus republics of Dagestan and Chechnya, causing rivers to rise rapidly and flood populated areas across the region. Flash floods and landslides killed at least 6 people, including a woman crushed when a landslide collapsed her home in the southern village of Kirki, and several others swept away by floodwaters when vehicles were overturned into swollen rivers. The crisis escalated dramatically when the Gedzhukh dam reservoir breached, forcing the emergency evacuation of more than 4,000 people. In total, over 6,200 people including 1,300 children were evacuated to 55 temporary accommodation centers. More than 6,000 residential buildings sustained damage, over 840 social facilities were affected, and more than 40 healthcare facilities were flooded in Dagestan alone. The federal government declared a state of emergency for both Dagestan and Chechnya on April 10. Damage estimates exceeded 1 billion rubles ($13 million), while local charity Nadezhda raised over 500 million rubles ($6.4 million) from private donors. Russia's weather service warned of a potential third wave of flooding as additional heavy rainfall was forecast for the region.