Flood disaster in the Urals prompts protests and appeals to Putin

Thousands in the Urals have been forced to evacuate due to flooding, sparking protests and calls for President Putin's aid.

Mary Ilyushina reports for The Washington Post.

In short:

• The flooding, worsened by a dam collapse, has caused extensive damage in Russia's Orenburg region, prompting urgent evacuations.
• Residents of Orsk, severely hit by the disaster, are openly criticizing local authorities and demanding more substantial aid.
• The incident has highlighted the long-standing issues with the dam's maintenance and the government's disaster response capabilities.

Why this matters:

Events like these highlight the complexities of disaster response in large nations as well as the bigger issues of infrastructure resilience and public trust in governmental authorities.

In the face of more frequent and intense rainfall, dam failures are becoming the norm. What can be done with the underfunded relics?