Severe winds damage buildings, one man remains missing
By Keti Arjevanidze
Monday, March 25
A storm with 6 magnitude raged in Batumi late on March 23. The storm appears to have claimed the life of a 55 year-old man. Search operations were conducted in vain due to the bad weather. According to weather experts, this was the most severe natural disaster in the last 10 years. Weather forecasters predict unstable weather until March 28-29.
A windstorm damaged the new boulevard, pipes supplying water to the residents, the buildings around were flooded and the storm also caused litter around the area.
According to the head of the emergency department, Merab Nakaidze fishermen near Sarpi fell into the sea; emergency workers were unable to work because of the weather. “We might lose rescue workers, visibility was too low, we observed the situation from outside, visually, we had no other way,” said Nakashidze.
According to the deputy head of the Emergency Management Agency of Ajara, Mamuka Turmanidze, the sea damaged the carriageway in Kobuleti too. Turmanidze also added that near the airport the trees were fallen and several buildings damaged.
Aleksi Amiridze, a resident of Gori, said the wind damaged building in the town too. Wind took off the roofs of several houses.
The roof of a five story building was taken away and fell onto a car in which Amiridze received various damages and was taken to Gori hospital. Local residents said that the building’s roof was reconstructed before the parliamentary elections and were complaining about the poor quality of the work.
Unstable weather was in Tbilisi as well. Strong winds in Avlabari took off the roof of the house. There were no casualties. The House of Justice was other target of the strong winds. Wind damaged the roof of the building, although the emergency service department reported that the damage was not serious.
Unstable weather will continue through the end of the month, forecasters predict. The National Environmental Agency informs that on March 25 temperatures will fall throughout Georgia.
