Powerful Hailstorm Buries Parts of Gyumri Under 1.5 Meters of Ice, Floods Streets and Traps Vehicles

A powerful overnight hailstorm and torrential rainfall brought parts of Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city, to a standstill, flooding streets, trapping vehicles, and leaving sections of the city buried under massive accumulations of ice.

Local authorities described the storm as unprecedented in scale. The hardest-hit area was beneath the bridge connecting Teryan Street to the road leading toward Akhuryan, where a thick layer of hail and floodwater rendered the roadway completely impassable and brought traffic to a halt.

According to Gyumri municipal officials, hail and ice accumulation reached as much as 1.5 meters (nearly five feet) in some locations. Despite drainage systems remaining operational, the volume of precipitation overwhelmed infrastructure and prevented water from being cleared quickly enough.

Emergency crews and municipal workers operated throughout the night in crisis-response mode, deploying all available equipment to remove ice, clear flooded roads, and restore access across affected areas of the city.

Armenia’s Rescue Service reported receiving numerous emergency calls shortly after midnight on June 11 as residents sought assistance for flooded homes and vehicles trapped in rising water. Rescue teams carried out evacuations, extracted stranded vehicles, and conducted drainage and cleanup operations across multiple neighborhoods.

The storm also caused injuries. According to emergency responders, one person suffered a broken arm during the severe weather.

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