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From May Snow to Summer Mosquitoes: A Tale of Two Cities






 May 22, and it is snowing in Tomsk. You could say "still" or "again"—both would sound right.

And yet, the cool May weather hasn't slowed down the mosquitoes. According to a report by RIA Tomsk, cold weather doesn't kill off the larvae of these blood-sucking insects. The early-spring species have already taken flight "to hunt," and a mass emergence is expected by late May when warmer weather finally arrives.

I wish I could say that we don't have mosquito problems here, but we do. I think a lot of it depends on neighbors who keep containers or pools of stagnant water in their backyards, where mosquitoes happily breed and multiply. My husband already got his first bite of the season. Let’s hope for the best this summer.

For now, though, Tomichi (Tomsk citizens) aren't too worried about mosquitoes; their real problem, now and always, is ticks. Tomsk had a few warm days earlier this spring, and the ticks became active immediately. Every spring, many families purchase special insurance to help cover the expenses of tick bites and the medical analysis for the diseases they carry.




But even ticks aren't everyone's main concern right now. Some residents don't even have water in their apartments. Fifteen buildings on Elizarovykh Street are without cold water until Friday evening due to emergency network repairs, according to the Rosvodokanal Tomsk press service.

Meanwhile, others are still dealing with flooded homes. As a reminder, the city lies on the Tom River, which flows into the larger Ob River. The Tom River typically floods the villages located closer to the city, while the Ob floods villages further out in the Tomsk Oblast. The villages of Molchanovo and Mogochino, as well as the hamlet of Igrekovo, located in the Molchanovo District, have been heavily inundated. In Igrekovo, the Ob River has flooded nearly every single home. Despite the disaster, residents are refusing to evacuate to temporary shelters. Nobody wants to leave their property unattended.







A lake in the middle of the city.





Between the snow, the floods, and the infrastructure, it feels like another spring disaster—the city is practically falling apart. Just look at the photos in this link...

Maybe I should stop complaining so much about the roads in New Bedford. I actually submitted a report about the potholes on Orchard Street, though I doubt it will do much given all the recent turmoil surrounding the city budget.

As for me, I am currently on break until June 1st, which is when my summer semester starts. Hopefully, I will be able to write another blog post then. I wish everyone a warm and mosquito-free spring! Well, spring is almost over—so let's wish for a great summer instead! 

My sources:

https://www.riatomsk.ru/article/20260521/kladbische-tomsk

https://www.riatomsk.ru/article/20260522/maiskoe-poholodanie-v-tomske-ne-povliyalo-na-vilet-komarov

https://www.riatomsk.ru/article/20260522/bolee-20-domov-ostayutsya-podtoplennimi-v-molchanovskom-raione

https://vtomske.ru/details/214849-tomsk-razrushaetsya-na-glazah
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