Moscow, November 27 – The most powerful storm in the history of meteorological observations has struck Crimea, according to Roman Vilfand, the scientific director of the Hydrometeorological Center. The interviewee noted that a similar storm hit Balaklava on November 14, 1854, during the Crimean War. At that time, the fleet of allies (England, Turkey, France, and Sardinia) suffered significant damage, with over 30 ships sinking off the coast. “There was indeed a severe storm, but we did not have observations back then,” said Vilfand. According to him, the most challenging conditions in southern Russia will occur on Monday, with bad weather, precipitation, and strong winds lasting until Wednesday. “Until Wednesday, the situation will remain very unsettled, with winds strengthening to 26 meters per second on the Black Sea coast and 25 meters per second in Crimea, but not reaching 40 meters anymore,” noted the director of the Hydrometeorological Center. The republic has reported one fatality following the storm. Three people were injured in Sevastopol, and seven in Yevpatoriya. Nearly 400,000 residents in Crimea are left without electricity. Several municipalities have declared a state of emergency. Meanwhile, according to Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev, the local aquarium-museum was flooded, resulting in the death of over 500 marine animals. Among them are 11 armored pikes that lived in the aquarium for 20 years, as well as large piranhas that spent 15 years there.
