In the wake of the devastating floods caused by bursting dams along the River Ural in Russia's Orenburg Region, the city of Orsk has been left submerged and residents demand compensation for mishandled evacuations. The region's governor confirmed that water levels in the capital city of Orenburg have risen to over ten meters, illustrating the severity of the crisis.

Orsk, the second-largest city in the region, has been particularly hard hit by the floods. In an unusual protest against the government, a small number of residents took to the streets on Monday to demand compensation. They accused authorities of mismanaging the evacuation process and disputed official claims that residents had been notified before the protective embankments were breached.

The flooding, which has affected several Russian cities before entering Kazakhstan and emptying into the Caspian Sea, has led to a state of emergency being declared in both countries. The torrential floods have forced approximately 120,000 people to evacuate their homes. Climate experts point to heavy snowfall followed by a rapid rise in temperatures as contributing factors to the significant flooding this year.

Satellite imagery and open source information have revealed the extent of the flooding in Orsk and the Orenburg Region. The images showed the old city of Orsk completely submerged, along with agricultural land and allotments. Utilizing Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology, the images were able to penetrate through cloud cover, providing a clearer view of the flooded areas.

Investigations into the collapsed protective embankments have raised questions about their construction quality and whether they were designed to withstand the magnitude of the floods. Authorities have opened a criminal negligence investigation into the matter following reports that the embankments were only capable of holding back up to five and a half meters of floodwater.

Satellite images and social media posts have identified at least six breaches in the embankments protecting Orsk. These breaches occurred in various parts of the city, exacerbating the flooding crisis. Government officials have acknowledged the failures in the embankments' design and construction, emphasizing that they were not adequately prepared to handle the unprecedented volume of water.

As the floods persist in Orsk and neighboring Kazakhstan, the use of open source information and satellite imagery remains crucial for monitoring the scale of the crisis. The images provide a visual representation of the devastation, allowing authorities to assess the damage and plan for recovery efforts.

The ongoing disaster serves as a stark reminder of the importance of robust and resilient flood protection systems in vulnerable regions. As climate change continues to exacerbate extreme weather events, ensuring the effectiveness of such infrastructure becomes imperative to safeguarding communities from future disasters.