Devastating Floods Wreck Turkish Black Sea Towns
Torrential downpours hammered Turkey’s Black Sea provinces of Bartin, Kastamonu, and Sinop on Wednesday, unleashing catastrophic floods that tore apart homes, destroyed at least five bridges, swept away cars, and blocked countless roads.
The Turkish disaster agency AFAD confirmed 40 fatalities so far—34 in Kastamonu and 6 in Sinop.
Mass Evacuations and Missing Residents
Authorities evacuated around 2,250 people, with some rescued from rooftops by helicopter. Many survivors are now housed in student dormitories. Nine people remain hospitalised in Sinop, while one person is officially reported missing in Bartin.
However, locals and an opposition lawmaker claim that hundreds could still be unaccounted for, raising fears the official numbers may be just the tip of the iceberg.
Climate Change and Human Errors Worsen Disaster
Experts say climate change is making extreme weather events like these floods more frequent as global temperatures rise due to fossil fuel burning. But faulty riverside construction and interference with natural waterways also played a deadly role.
Geologists warn that the Ezine stream in Kastamonu’s Bozkurt district—where destruction was worst—was squeezed from a natural riverbed width of 400 meters down to a mere 15 meters by buildings built too close to the water.
This drastic narrowing left no room for floodwaters to escape, causing violent overflow that engulfed houses and roads. Videos shared by residents show raging torrents tearing through the town.
Turkey Faces Double Natural Disasters in Weeks
The Black Sea floods come just weeks after devastating wildfires struck southern Turkey’s Mugla and Antalya provinces, killing at least eight and displacing thousands.
Turkey’s climate battles are worsening fast—emergency officials warn more extreme events are on the horizon unless urgent action is taken.
