At least 147 people have lost their lives in a torrent of rising water in Russia’s southern Krasnodar Region near the Black Sea after a deluge of rain – nearly five months’ worth – fell overnight Friday. More than 5,000 homes have been evacuated and President Vladimir Putin declared Monday to be a day of mourning for the victims.

“We are in the process of identifying the dead, both residents and tourists,” local police spokesman Igor Zliavin told the Novosti news agency.

As Putin toured the region by helicopter and emergency aid arrived from Moscow, reports from the field indicated that while the flooding was widespread, Jewish community interests in Krasnodar, including synagogues and schools, were not affected, according to the Federation of Jewish Communities in Russia.

Community leaders have been checking into the welfare of local Jewish families to see if specific help is needed.

(Source: Chabad.org)