A significant winter storm swept over the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Far East of Russia on Tuesday night, burying entire neighborhoods under snow, triggering urban avalanches, and compelling officials to utilize their fleet of vehicles as a temporary taxi service in the regional capital.

The hardest hit areas were the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and the town of Vilyuchinsk, located at the southeastern point of the peninsula, where the Emergency Situations Ministry reported that 39 millimeters (1.5 inches) of precipitation fell within a 24-hour period.

The powerful Pacific cyclone brought daily life to a halt in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, with public transportation halted and residents claiming they were “entirely buried” by snowdrifts that reached the second floor.

The mayor’s office announced that schools would remain closed for the rest of the week, effectively prolonging the children’s New Year vacation.

Due to standard buses being unable to traverse the snow accumulations, the local government dispatched several high-clearance off-road vehicles to transport residents along the primary city routes.

Governor Vladimir Solodov reported that despite the strain on the power grid, authorities had successfully maintained heating and electricity across most areas.

State-run news outlets indicated that the hurricane-force winds had shattered several windows in apartment buildings, damaged parked cars, and even lifted the entire roof off a private residence.

Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries or fatalities.

In one instance, the severe snow depth required paramedics to carry a patient nearly 1,000 yards to reach a waiting ambulance, as reported by the news outlet Govorit Nemoskva.

Meteorologists are forecasting that a second cyclone may impact the shores of Kamchatka as early as Wednesday evening.