Nearly 100 homes were damaged after a powerful whirlwind struck the town of Kushva in Russia's Sverdlovsk Region, according to the regional Department of Information Policy.
The weather event caused significant damage to the town's infrastructure.
Whirlwind Causes Extensive Damage Across Kushva
City authorities reported that 99 residential buildings sustained damage during the incident, while 32 structures were completely destroyed.
In addition, 25 vehicles and 15 power lines were damaged.
The regional branch of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) said hurricane-force winds uprooted trees and tore roofing from several dozen buildings.
More than 4,000 private homes were left without electricity.
99 homes were affected by the whirlwind.
A state of emergency has been declared in Kushva. Authorities also reported that 16 people sought medical assistance following the storm.
Damage Assessment to Continue During Daylight Hours
Emergency recovery operations remain underway in Kushva.
EMERCOM personnel are providing direct assistance to local residents affected by the disaster.
A temporary accommodation center with capacity for 50 people has been established in the town. Earlier, authorities had opened a temporary shelter capable of accommodating 15 people.
Sverdlovsk Region Governor Denis Pasler instructed officials to eliminate the consequences of the severe weather as quickly as possible.
"Damage assessments will continue during daylight hours," regional authorities said.
Experts Reject Initial Tornado Reports
Earlier, media outlets reported that a powerful tornado had appeared in Sverdlovsk Region.
Videos recorded by eyewitnesses showed a large rotating funnel stretching toward the sky while lifting significant amounts of debris into the air.
However, Alexander Golubev, head of the short-term weather forecasting department at Russia's Hydrometeorological Center, said the footage showed a whirlwind rather than a tornado.
"The video shows a whirlwind, not a tornado, because tornadoes do not occur in Russia; they are an American phenomenon. A whirlwind forms within a powerful cumulonimbus cloud along an atmospheric front, whereas a tornado is a powerful atmospheric vortex in the shape of a funnel that develops under a specific combination of climatic conditions characteristic primarily of the United States," Golubev said.
He added that the physical processes involved are similar, but tornadoes typically affect a larger area. For that reason, he said, the term is considered inappropriate in the Russian context.
