Heavy rainfall in several Turkish provinces on the northern Black Sea coast last weekend left at least two people dead and another missing, according to local media reports.
The rainfall that caused the flooding swept away trees, cars and animals and inundated buildings in several provinces, including Kastamonu, Samsun, Sinop, Amasya and Çorum.
According to the reports, the rain, which particularly intensified in the Alıçlı neighborhood of Samsun's Ladık district, left an older man dead late Sunday. The man was trying to rescue animals and pass with them over a bridge when he lost his balance and got dragged into the flood.
Two people were missing after a car transporting three people in northern Amasya province was inundated by water in the village of Kışlacık. A man named Sekran Şahin was rescued, but his wife Zilal Şahin and friend Murat Ekşi were swept away with the car in flood.
A search around the pond in the village was initiated by the local gendarmerie and Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) teams. However, the operations were briefly halted due to worsening weather conditions but resumed on Monday morning, as per Anadolu Agency (AA) reports.
Later in the day, it was confirmed that the dead body of the missing man was found at a distance of some 150 meters (492.1 feet) away from the pond. At the same time, the search for Z. Şahin is underway, AA reports.
Heavy rains that started overnight in the northern parts of Kastamonu led the Turkish State Meteorological Services (TSMS) to issue an "orange code" warning about the Inebolu Stream, which passes through the center of the Inebolu district.
Inebolu is some 25 kilometers (15.9 miles) away from Bozkurt, a district of Kastamonu where more than 80 people lost their lives two years ago when dire floods swept away houses on the banks of a stream in one of the worst floods in the Black Sea region in decades.
Due to the danger of the stream overflowing, the teams from the local directorate of the highways, the State Hydraulic Works (DSI), Inebolu Municipality and special teams took precautions near the river throughout the night.
As a result of severe weather conditions, one-day school closures were announced in Kastamonu's Inebolu, Samsun's Ladik and Sinop's Ayvancık and Türkeli districts, according to several reports on Monday.
Furthermore, as a precautionary measure, the authorities from the Metropolitan Municipality and the Kavak and Ladik municipalities dispatched teams to evacuate the residents in the affected areas of the Ladik district.
Describing the situation in Kastamonu's Inebolu district, where traffic was restricted to one lane during the night, the district Governor Ahmet Vezir Baycar noted during an interview with AA that the area is still experiencing rainfall. Despite witnessing flooding, Baycar mentioned the water has receded at the most critical point, the Inebolu Stream.
Furthermore, it was reported that the gardens of two local high schools, namely the Inebolu Mecit Çetinkaya Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, were swamped by floods.
However, the district governor assured that the situation in Inebolu is currently under control, refuting the reports of an evacuation due to the floods.
"We have only advised our citizens residing in low-lying buildings, residences and workplaces on the banks of the streams to temporarily move to the upper floors as a precautionary measure. Apart from that, there is no plan for evacuation in Inebolu," Baycar told AA.
As the heavy rainfall persisted throughout the day, it was reported that at least three neighborhoods in Samsun's Bafra district remained inaccessible due to flooding; in contrast, several agricultural fields in the Havza district were submerged in water.
TSMS has meanwhile issued an "orange" and "yellow" warning for 16 Turkish provinces where heavy rainfall is expected on Monday. Citizens were advised to be cautious regarding potential flash floods, lightning, hail, strong winds, tornadoes and transportation disruptions.
Later in the day, the Samsun Provincial Directorate of National Education confirmed in a statement that the one-day school closures due to adverse rainfall were expanded to other districts apart from Ladik, including central Atakum, Ilkadım, Canik and Tekkeköy.
Floods also disrupted life in the Turkish capital Ankara earlier, as it also witnessed intermittent heavy rains over the last week, with several workplaces and ground floors of the buildings being damaged.
The Black Sea region is prone to floods due to its rainy climate, but they have become worse in recent years, claiming more lives. Experts tie it to climate change, which aggravates the amount of precipitation.
