Heavy rainfall, storms and sharp gusts of wind swept across numerous Turkish provinces, starting from the northwestern coast and Istanbul, to Izmir in the west, the northern provinces of Kastamonu and Samsun and all the way to Hatay’s Iskenderun district in the south.
Streets and buildings were flooded in Izmir on Sunday after the sea rose and breached coastal barriers following a storm, the local media reported.
Evacuation efforts from the apartments, workplaces and shops flooded in the city’s Konak district continued through the night, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported Monday.
Izmir Water and Sewerage Administration General Directorate (IZSU) teams continued with the evacuation and cleaning efforts with the help from sewage trucks in flooded apartments, workplaces and shops in Alsancak Kordonboyu and Kıbrıs Şehitleri Street, it said.
The earlier reports on Sunday indicated that the torrential rain, which started around 4 a.m. local time in Istanbul, affected many districts of the city. The roof of a building in Kağıthane was blown off by the storm, which increased in intensity in the early hours of the day.
Türkiye’s General Directorate of Meteorology issued severe weather warnings for a large part of the country’s 81 provinces on Sunday.
On the coast of Hatay’s Iskenderun district, roads and some workplaces were flooded due to heavy rain and strong wind, bringing life to a standstill on Monday. The downpour that started Sunday in the coastal district continued through the night, the report from AA said.
As a result of sea flooding due to rain and strong winds, deep puddles formed in Monument Square and Atatürk Boulevard on the coast. Houses and workplaces on the ground floors of some buildings were also flooded, and some vehicles were stranded on the roads. Shopkeepers who went to their workplaces in the morning tried to drain the water from their shops and clean them.
The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), fire brigade and municipal teams commenced their work after being dispatched to the flooded areas.
AFAD, through its social media channel, reported that 198 citizens were rescued from the adverse weather in 16 different provinces as part of their efforts.
It also said one person lost their life after being trapped under the rubble due to a structural collapse that occurred in a building in Sinop’s Erfelek due to the storm.
In central Konya province, one citizen lost their life while trying to protect themselves from heavy rain by entering a barn. Four other citizens were injured as part of the same incident and sent to hospital, AFAD said.
Similarly, the rain and strong wind wreaked havoc in a number of the districts of Kastamonu. Giant waves reached up to 5 meters (16 feet) in height in the Abana district as the wind blew at a speed of 50 kph (31 mph) in some places.
The waves broke through the wall on the Hacıveli highway, creating a puddle on the road, while six people were evacuated from two houses in the Harmason area.
The storm was also effective in the Erbaa district of central Tokat province. The roof of the two-story house on Alemdar Street in the Osman Gazi District was blown away due to strong wind.
Meanwhile, due to a storm that occurred as a result of ongoing rain, a report indicated a cargo ship ran aground off the coast in the Black Sea’s province of Artvin.
“Today around 10 a.m., a dry cargo ship in the region ran aground off the coast of Artvin-Hopa due to the severe storm in the Black Sea. Of the total 13 crew members on the ship; six crew members were rescued, while rescue efforts for seven other crew members are underway,” AFAD’s statement on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, read.
Heavy rainfall and floods swept across Türkiye last week, resulting in loss of life in the provinces of Zonguldak, Batman and Diyarbakır.
Calmer weather was expected on Monday, although a “yellow” warning code was issued for 29 provinces, and an “orange” warning for 47, according to the AFAD statement.
Some ferry services planned to be held on the Geyikli-Bozcaada and Kabatepe-Gökçeada lines in Çanakkale on Monday were canceled due to adverse weather conditions, a separate report from AA said.
Source: Daily Sabah
