Heavy rains and hail paralyze Gyumri - City Hall

ArmInfo. As a result of abnormally heavy rains and hail that fell in Gyumri on the night of June 10, traffic in the city was paralyzed.

According to the Gyumri City Hall press service, due to the intense  rainfall, some parts of the city were flooded and roads were covered  in ice. This, according to the source, created serious problems for  both people and vehicles. "Torrential rains and hail paralyzed  traffic. The most critical situation arose under the bridge leading  from Teryan Street to Akhuryan Highway. A huge layer of ice and large  accumulations of water formed there, making the section impassable  and completely paralyzing traffic in that direction," the Gyumri City  Hall reported.

According to Andranik Chadryan, Acting Head of the Gyumri  Municipality's Housing and Utilities Department, the volume of  precipitation was unprecedented. "The hail and ice layer reached 1.5  meters in height in some places. Although underground water pipes  were functioning, the volume of water was so great that it was simply  impossible to ensure complete drainage in a timely manner," Chadryan  said.

According to the source, the Gyumri Municipality worked in emergency  mode throughout the night to address the consequences of the  disaster. "All necessary equipment was involved in the work.  Throughout the night, housing and utilities department employees  attempted to remove the thick layer of ice, clear the road, and  restore traffic," the mayor's office summarized.

Earlier, footage of severe hail in Stepanavan was also circulated  online. It was reported that the hail lasted for about 20 minutes,  causing significant damage to residents: it shattered car windows,  destroyed crops, damaged roofs, solar panels, and more. Livestock  deaths were also recorded. The Stepanavan mayor's office is still  documenting the aftermath of the hail, which is estimated to have  cost millions in damage.