Heavy rains paralyse life in several Turkish provinces: street collapse, flooded homes and businesses
Heavy rains paralysed life in several Turkish provinces: a street collapsed in Adıyaman and numerous homes and businesses were flooded. A yellow weather warning is in effect.
Yulduz Salimov4 min read
Heavy rains that swept across a number of Turkish provinces paralysed daily life: a street collapsed in Adıyaman and numerous homes and businesses were flooded. Turkey's Interior Ministry issued a yellow weather warning.
According to the Interior Ministry, strong and locally thundery downpours were expected on 12 October in Gaziantep, Kilis, Adıyaman, Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, Bingöl, Mardin, Batman, Hakkâri and Tunceli, in the eastern districts of Elazığ, and in the south-east of Kahramanmaraş and Osmaniye.
On 13 October, locally heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast in western Marmara — in Edirne, Kırklareli, Tekirdağ, Çanakkale and the northern and western districts of Balıkesir — as well as on the northern coast of the Aegean Sea, in the coastal districts of İzmir and the western districts of Manisa.
Citizens were urged to be cautious about sudden flash floods, inundations, lightning, local hail and strong winds during precipitation, as well as disruption to transport.
Adıyaman
In Adıyaman, water accumulated on many streets because of the rains that swept the city and its districts. Some cars got stuck on the roads and drivers had difficulty moving. A collapse occurred on Mersin Caddesi Avenue, after which the road was closed to traffic. Numerous homes and businesses in the city were flooded. In the flooded areas, rescue teams pumped out water and dealt with the aftermath. Citizens who were stranded were moved to safe locations with the help of the services. Firefighters, AFAD and municipal services carried out the work.
Malatya, Mersin and Hatay
In Malatya, the rain began in the evening, with lightning and thunderstorms observed in the sky. Water accumulated in many areas, and some cars broke down and got stuck. Because of clogged storm drains, some underpasses were temporarily closed, and municipal services began clearing the grates.
In the Silifke district of Mersin province, rain fell in the morning. Water flooded some roads both in the district centre and in rural neighbourhoods, turning busy streets into lakes. Drivers had to look for detours, where traffic jams formed. Passers-by pulled out those stuck in broken-down cars, and after the rain eased, municipal services began pumping out the water.
In the Reyhanlı district of Hatay province, overnight rain caused flooding in the neighbourhoods of Alakuzu, Oğulpınar and Fevzipaşa, and trees were toppled. About 1.5 hours before the rain, mudflows from the mountains flooded some homes and barns. The moment a garden wall of one house collapsed was captured by a surveillance camera. Cars stuck on the roads were freed with tractors, after which municipal services began pumping out the water.
The head of the Alakuzu neighbourhood, Sabahattin Cüneyitoğlu, noted that agricultural land was also damaged by the flooding, and called for improving the neighbourhood's infrastructure.
Gaziantep, Kırklareli and Çorum
In Gaziantep, the rain fell intermittently, at times intensifying: water accumulated on the streets, and residents and drivers found themselves in difficult situations. Some people took shelter in businesses and enclosed spaces, and transport was periodically disrupted on the roads.
In Kırklareli, sudden rain also led to water accumulating on the streets, and people took shelter in buildings and at bus stops. Police and municipal services took measures at intersections and main roads. At a temperature of 20 degrees, precipitation in the city is expected intermittently until Sunday, 18 October.
In Çorum, a thunderstorm downpour began in the evening, intensifying over time. For some time the rain fell together with hail, and lightning lit up the sky. Pedestrians caught in the bad weather faced difficulties, and drivers had trouble moving because of water accumulating on the streets. According to the General Directorate of Meteorology, precipitation there is expected intermittently until the end of the week.
Source: milliyet.com.tr
