“We have nowhere to return to”: Kherson region faces consequences of flooding as water recedes

On June 8, Rubryka visited the village of Sadove near Kherson. At that time, almost the entire village in Ukraine's south was underwater, with only the roofs of houses and tree canopies peeking out after Russian troops blew up the Kakhovka dam. Now the water in the village has started to recede. Rubryka reports what consequences the locals faced.

"The water has already receded from my house, store, and yard. Only the garden is submerged," says Natalia Peliushenko, who showed us the flooded village last Friday. Natalia is the owner of a rural store. Both her house and the shop suffered during the flooding.

"The house is a mess," says Natalia Peliushenko, a resident of Sadove.

Natalia says that the water has receded almost everywhere now. The village's central street, which had turned into a river, is now passable again. Now you can come to Sadove from both Berislav and Antonivka routes.

However, even though the flooding has ended, the locals are facing extra problems. Natalia explains:

"The water has receded, but people have nowhere to return to. Everything is in ruins. Many people had old clay houses," says Natalia. "The neighbor's house collapsed and is unfit for living. I am in the same situation — everything inside collapsed. The furniture and the ceiling and walls collapsed on top of it all. I can't even access my belongings."

Natalia Peliushenko documented the consequences of the flooding in her home on video.

Mrs. Natalia says that the locals are now unsure of what to do next. All the support and assistance they receive come from volunteers.

"We are trying to understand what to do, where to start, how to document everything. For now, everything relies on volunteers — sometimes they bring motor pumps, other times shovels, rakes, or other items," she comments.

Natalia Peliushenko says that the Rubryka report about Sadove helped draw some attention to the village.

"People gave us some financial support after your video. There were many words of encouragement," she says.

However, when it comes to what to do next and where to seek help, Natalia admits that she doesn't know what to do. Also, if earlier there was no electricity in the village, but at least there was gas, now the gas supply has been shut off as well.

"So now we rely on gas cylinders and generators," says Natalia Peliushenko.

Rubryka will continue to monitor the situation in the Kherson region.