Heavy rains trigger floods, landslides in Türkiye’s Black Sea region

RİZE

Torrential rains have caused floods and landslides across several provinces in Türkiye’s Black Sea region, disrupting daily life, damaging infrastructure and forcing precautionary evacuations.

In the province of Rize, heavy downpours swelled rivers and triggered multiple landslides, cutting off roads, including the main access to the Ayder Plateau, a major tourist destination.

A bridge collapsed in a village in the town of Ardeşen after its foundations were eroded by rising waters, though no casualties were reported.

In a village, five people were rescued with injuries after their vehicle crashed due to road damage.

Elsewhere, nine people narrowly escaped being swept away by floods and were evacuated to safety, while 15 families in the town of Fındıklı were relocated as rivers reached critical levels.

Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş announced that 4 million Turkish Liras ($96,6500) had been allocated to meet urgent needs, while psychosocial support teams were dispatched to the region.

Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, visiting Rize, said some areas recorded rainfall equivalent to 10 percent of the city’s annual average in just one day.

He noted that early evacuations along riverbanks helped prevent casualties.

“The fact that we have no loss of life is a relief for us. The scale of the incident has really spread across a wide area,” he said, adding that crews were working to reopen damaged routes.

Rize Governor İhsan Selim Baydaş confirmed that widespread evacuations had taken place overnight and urged residents to remain alert. “The risk of landslides remains, especially in low-lying and riverside areas,” he warned.

In another province, Giresun, the districts of Görele, Çanakçı and Doğankent were also heavily affected.

Landslides cut off several rural roads, and families trapped in their homes were rescued by Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) and local authorities.

A man stranded with his livestock was also saved by fire crews.

In Artvin, floods damaged guesthouses and farmland in Borçka, where the historic three-arched stone bridge collapsed after a river overflowed.

Rising waters also inundated parts of a nature park in the region, submerging walkways and piers.

In Trabzon, landslides and flooding were reported in several towns across the city. Municipal teams worked to clear blocked roads, and residents were urged to call emergency hotlines in case of danger.

Meteorologists note that the risk from heavy rain in the eastern Black Sea region is expected to ease. They caution, however, that water from higher elevations may still flow into lower areas and urge residents to remain careful in the upcoming days.