Capital of Estonia gets generously watered

Yesterday afternoon, several streets were flooded in Tallinn due to heavy rain. Hailstones up to two centimeters hit the city center. Then, thunder and lightning. 

On Tartu Highway near the Airport, an individual caught in the jam told media that many a car had water up to edge of doors.

Meanwhile, it got deep at Laagna Road towards the city centre. A car for driving lessons, underwater up to windows, had actually been taken there by a female instructor. Onlookers said she tried to make it thru but the engine went dead and the lady exited, headed home for dry clothes.

Workmen from utilities company Tallinna Vesi said the rains carried lots of debris into drainage system such as grass, leaves and branches, clogging it up.

The Liivalaia St and Tartu Highway intersection was almost half a metre under water and the traffic stopped. Even buses were having a hard time getting through.

At about 12 at noon, Ülemiste Centre was closed for visitors as water begun to come in through ceilings and over thresholds.

Rimi retailer said «ceiling lets in water over fruits and cosmetics. We are trying to get the water out of the house, can’t comment yet about the damage. Lots of goods to be destroyed, likely.»

The Ülemiste Centre suffered a flooding just like this about a year ago – with corridors full of water and Rimi getting the indoor rain.

The centre’s director Guido Pärnits cited Tallinn sewerage unable to receive such amounts of water.

Tallinn city government is calling AS Tallinna Vesi on the carpet today; the latter has stated that building a larger sewerage is not reasonable.