A powerful storm pummeled parts of western Russia’s Smolensk region, with strong wind and heavy rain on Thursday evening, leaving thousands without power and downing many trees, including two in the capital city that killed a child and an elderly woman. The regional government initially said 15,000 energy customers were left without power as of late Thursday. While regional Governor Vasily Anokhin established a 24-hour emergency response task force, officials clarified that a formal state of emergency has not been declared. In total, the severe weather disrupted eight central and western districts surrounding Smolensk, an area encompassing more than half of the region’s 857,000 residents. Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry warned that heavy rain and wind are expected to continue across the Smolensk region through Friday evening.