Scores of homes and properties in the southern Russian city of Orenburg were submerged underwater on Friday as authorities warned that water levels in the nearby Ural River would remain “critical” over the weekend before gradually receding early next week. The Ural River, the third-longest in Europe, reached 11.29 meters in Orenburg, or two meters above its critical level, according to deputy mayor Alexei Kudinov. In some parts of the city, which has a population of 550,000 people, only the roofs of houses could be seen rising above the flood waters. “Orenburg’s meteorological center forecasts…