SOCHI , Russia, June 26 (UPI) -- Rain and flooding forced the evacuation Friday of residents of Sochi, Russia, the resort city which hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Trains were stopped, road were flooded and the city's airport was closed after several hours of heavy rain descended on the Black Sea resort. The Formula 1 car racing track in the nearby town of Adler was completely underwater, and police said Friday they rescued over 250 people from stalled vehicles, first-floor residences and bridges.
Police added 70 people in Adler, passengers who departed a bus and sought shelter under a footbridge, were rescued from rising water beneath the bridge.
Sochi Mayor Anatoly Pakhomov announced a state of emergency was declared. There were no reports of casualties.
Meteorologists warned tornadoes could form from the storm and move inland. The crisis is similar to, but more severe than, incidents last week further south in Georgia, where severe flooding in the capital of Tbilisi killed 19 people, caused extensive damage and led to the escape of animals from the local zoo.
