Residents of the Siberian town of Dudinka awoke to a surprise last week when they discovered that their entire town encased in solid blocks of ice. That might sound like hyperbole, but it actually happened.
Overnight, a water main in Dudinka burst and flooded the streets. That same night, temperatures dropped to -40C. This caused the water to freeze in place, leaving many of Dudinka 22,000 residents stranded without power or water.
Cars were frozen solid in 4-foot thick blocks of ice.
Good luck digging that out before spring.
Some of the water in the streets was still running, which made for treacherous walking conditions.
I don’t think car insurance covers ice damage.
Many of Dudinka’s residents were left without heat or electricity in the wake of the water main break.
Be careful on those steps.
The local government in Dudinka has declared a state of emergency while residents try to dig themselves out of the ice.
(via: Oddity Central, English Russia)
That is one of the worst things you could ever wake up to in the winter. Hopefully the residents of Dudinka get the help they need to dig themselves out and get the heat and power back on.