“A woman fell nearby”: Rostov children swam to school

The disaster struck the south of Russia. A storm is raging in Crimea, and a hurricane of unprecedented strength is raging in the Rostov region and Krasnodar region. So, in Rostov-on-Don, a strong wind is tearing out trees by the roots; the Don overflowed its banks and flooded several streets. In some regions, school classes have been cancelled; some, for example, in Rostov, are operating as usual. Parents are indignant: the children had difficulty getting to their first lesson, walked through the storm and wind, risking falling under a fallen tree.

– I’m leaving the entrance with my two sons – 4 and 6 years old. I’m standing at the entrance, and garbage is flying around – the garbage dump in the yard has blown up. The trees bend, the store sign slams. I stand and think what to do. There is no one to leave the children with, we have to go,” a mother with many children from Levberdon, a district on the left bank of the Don, told MK. – Well, let’s go. We had to climb over fallen trees. The children say: Mom, it’s like in the forest.

Other parents had to let their children go on an independent journey through the hurricane city. Their outrage knows no bounds.

– Why is the education department silent? Children must study, risking their lives and health, the Rostov mother rages. “The wind is uprooting trees and there are rubble in the streets.”

According to weather forecasters, on Monday hurricane winds in Rostov-on-Don reached 30 meters per second. There are spectacular reports on social networks. There is roofing on the asphalt, road signs are dancing, signs are flying, trees are falling. Utility workers reported that 24 trees collapsed during the night and morning of November 27. Three streets were flooded. People share their impressions of the road to school, the fire of the local depot.

– We walked barely, overcoming the resistance of the wind. But in Crimea today is a day off for everyone.

– A tree almost fell on my son this morning!

– The son was walking along a flooded street. I almost got there by swimming. I didn’t dare return home. What if they give you truancy and scold you.

In connection with the events, we remembered the collapse of the podium in May of this year. Then sports competitions between children’s teams were held despite the lead clouds that covered the sky of Rostov. As a result, heavy winds destroyed several stands, causing injuries and deaths.

MK asked Rostov students how they got to school.

– The wind was stronger than usual. As I walked, an elderly woman fell to her knees next to me. I helped her up. “I resisted,” a student from school No. 106 shares his impressions.

– When I was walking after class, I saw a piece of the facade fall. He crashed through the summer veranda and fell onto the sidewalk. It’s good that there was no one nearby,” said a student from school No. 11.

“We had to make our way through a fallen tree.” They didn’t have time to remove it. Other trees creaked dangerously. But nothing, everyone came on time, no one was late,” says another student.

The education department of the Rostov region refused to comment on the situation.

Meanwhile, in Anapa they decided to make today Monday a day off for pupils of kindergartens, schools, and additional education institutions. Residents and guests of the resort were asked to stay home if possible and closely monitor their children.

A day off for kindergarteners and schoolchildren was announced in Crimea. Similar measures were taken in the Kherson region. Gelendzhik authorities reported that all schools will operate as usual, except for the 17th secondary school in Arkhipo-Osipovka. The roof of this educational institution was blown off by a strong wind. Luckily, the hurricane hit on Sunday. No harm done.

– We come to work, and the school is a hole. The fragments of the roof lie in the schoolyard, employees of school No. 17 in Arkhipo-Osipovka told MK. – The hole appeared in two classes. Well, we piled on with the whole world. The head of the settlement arrived, along with workers, parents, and teachers. Together we repaired the roof. They made a sheathing, covered it with polyethylene and a temporary roof. School classes are already underway. Only from these two classes were students transferred. You never know.

– The damage area was about 150 square meters. Now a section of the roof is being covered with film, repairs will be carried out after the weather improves, the Kuban operational headquarters reported.

According to forecasters, the hurricane will rage in southern Russia for at least three days.

Read also: Residents of Yevpatoria spoke about the disaster: “Water gushed from under the floor”