Submerged cars & barefoot airline crews as rain hits doorstep of Moscow’s largest airport

A heavy downpour resulted in flooding just outside of Moscow’s largest airport, Sheremetyevo, causing traffic jams, but also bringing out the ingenuity in people trying to get in or out of the air hub.

Despite the weather warnings, a number of people traveling to and from the airport were trapped on the road leading to Sheremetyevo on Friday.

A number of videos from these unlucky folks have been posted on social media.

One video shows two dozen men and women holding umbrellas while crammed on the back of an open truck like livestock. Another shows cars submerged up to the doorknobs in flood water, apparently left on the road by their owners.

The flooding also forced airline crew members to go barefoot with their pants rolled up to save their shiny shoes and uniforms from the dirty water.

Twitter users likened the current state of Sheremetyevo to popular tourist locations, such as Venice.

“If you don’t go to Venice, Venice will come to you,” one of the many witty travelers wrote on Twitter.

Within the past two days, Moscow has received 40 percent of its monthly average rainfall, or 30mm of rain.

The authorities at Sheremetyevo advised people to travel via Aeroexpress (a train linking the city with its three major air hubs), though they also said the flooding will not cause delays in airport operations. However, some people posted videos directly from the tarmac, which appears to be filled with water.

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