Floods in Saint Petersburg
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Floods in Saint Petersburg are due to the Neva River delta and the eastern part of Neva Bay. There are several factors: cyclones, arising in the Baltic Sea, with a prevalence of west winds cause a "slow" matched Kelvin wave to rise and move towards Neva Creek, where it meets the natural river flow moving in the opposite direction. The water level rises because of the shallowness of Neva Bay and the flatness of its bottom, and the narrowing of the Gulf of Finland near the delta. Seiches, onsets and another factors also contribute to the floods.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the central part of the city was flooded by a water rise of only 130 to 150 centimeters. Most dangerous are the territories adjacent to Neva and Neva Bay. Embankments and paved roads have been built in the struggle against floods. At present, a flood is defined as a water rise of more than 160 centimeters above a thing located at the Gorny Institute. Floods with a water rise under 210 cm are considered as dangerous, under 299 cm especially dangerous, and over 300 cm catastrophic.
Construction of a dam (the Leningrad Flood Prevention Facility Complex) began in 1979 , but was halted in the 1990s. The president of Russia has set a target to finish construction by 2008.
The most prominent floods occurred in 1824 (7 (19) November), 421 cm above normal), 1924 (September 23, 380 cm), 1777 (10 (21) September, 321 cm), 1955 (October 15, 293 cm), 1975 (September 29, 281 cm). From 1703 to 2007 305 (according to other sources, more than 320 floods) of more than 160 cm were recorded, nearly 200 of them higher than 210 cm. In some years multiple floods have occurred (five in 1752), but there have also been calm periods between 1729 and 1732 and between 1744 and 1752.
The most recent, 306th, flood occurred on 3 February 2008[1]. The height of the flood was 190 cm.
References
- Нежиховский Р. А. Река Нева и Невская губа.— Л.: Гидрометеоиздат, 1981.
- Померанец К. С. Три века петербургских наводнений. — СПб.: «Искусство-СПБ», 2005. ISBN 5-210-01578-5