Turkey’s Black Sea coast sees severe floods, 12 injured (Photo credit: X)
Torrential overnight rain in Turkey’s Havza on Wednesday triggered severe floods in northern Samsun province, affecting homes and businesses, sweeping away vehicles and leaving at least 12 people injured.The intense rainfall began on Tuesday, causing rivers and streams in the Black Sea region to overflow rapidly and lead to flooding late at night, sending muddy water into residential neighbourhoods.Videos from the area showed cars being dragged by water and the road covered in thick layers of mud and debris. Authorities informed that 12 people were injured with minor injuries and no deaths have been reported yet“There has been no loss of life in the floods in Havza; injured persons have been taken to the hospital and are receiving treatment”, the Samsun governor told the local media.Emergency teams, including firefighters, police personnel and disaster-response crews, worked overnight to rescue stranded residents, evacuate flooded buildings and clear debris from roads.Municipal workers also began pumping water out of affected areas and assessing damage to infrastructure.According to local reports, floodwaters reached nearly one metre deep in some parts of the district, while the mud deposits up to 30 cm thick were left behind when the water level went down.Power outages were also reported in several areas, and schools in Havza were closed for at least one day to allow cleanup operations.The local television reported that the cleanup crew were still working in badly affected areas, where some residents were still without electricity in the morning. TTurkey’s Black Sea coast is very vulnerable to floods due to its steep terrain and rapidly rising rivers.Experts say that even short but intense storms can quickly overwhelm drainage systems. Also, urban development near waterways and reduced natural drainage have played a vital part in worsening flood risks in recent years.
