Dagestani journalists explained the use of boats without oars in the flood zone.

The use of rowboats to evacuate residents from flooded areas in Dagestan is not due to a shortage of rescue equipment, but rather because inflatable boats are designed to be towed by people.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," 508 residential buildings remained flooded in Dagestan on April 14, and by April 17, 120 buildings had fallen. By the morning of April 18, the number of flooded residential buildings in Dagestan had decreased to 117. 537 people remain in temporary accommodation centers today.

Journalist Idris Yusupov (who is included in the foreign agent registry but challenged this decision in court) and another journalist, who commented on condition of anonymity, commented to a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent on footage of residents being evacuated from flooded areas in Dagestan, which shows people sitting in both rowboats and rowboats without oars.

The use of rowboats without oars is not related to the lack of oars, they pointed out. The problem was likely that inflatable boats designed for towing were used in some flooded areas, explained Idris Yusupov.

Another journalist, in turn, emphasized that the photos and videos he saw showed boats with oars. "At the same time, I don't rule out the possibility that inflatable boats without oars could have been used during the rescue, as they are held by a rope and accompanied by rescuers," he noted.

According to the Caucasian Knot weather service, Makhachkala will see partly cloudy skies with no precipitation today. No rain is expected overnight or on April 19th. The weather service is a partnership between Caucasian Knot and Gismeteo. The service allows you to correct meteorological data for a more accurate forecast. The service is also available in a light version and Caucasian Knot apps for Android and AndroidGO.

Alexey Gunya: Dagestan faces a new climate reality

As a reminder, floods caused by heavy rains in the North Caucasus began in late March and became some of the most devastating in recent years. Dagestan and Chechnya suffered the most from the natural disaster, according to the Caucasian Knot report "Spring Flooding in the North Caucasus - 2026".

By April 17, Dagestan authorities had received more than 190,000 applications for assistance from affected residents.

The Caucasian Knot has compiled materials about flooding in the republics of the North Caucasus Federal District in the spring of 2026 on the thematic page "Flooding in the North Caucasus".