Heavy rain flooded homes, workplaces and farmers’ greenhouses in parts of Fethiye on Tuesday evening, hours before a stronger downpour is forecast for the Muğla coast on Wednesday.
Ihlas News Agency (İHA) reported that water entered houses and shops in some neighbourhoods of the district and covered greenhouses. Residents started pumping and bailing out water themselves. Water also collected on roads, and some drivers had trouble getting through. The local news site Aksiyon reported that district crews were draining the standing water and working to keep traffic moving, and that the flooded greenhouses had disrupted production and caused losses for growers. Neither report named the neighbourhoods affected, and no injuries were reported. Anadolu Agency also reported that the downpour disrupted daily life in Fethiye earlier on Tuesday.
Across the province, Muğla Metropolitan Municipality crews dealt with 111 incidents in 24 hours, including flooding and blocked stormwater and sewer lines, Muğla Gazetesi reported on Tuesday morning. The fire brigade, the water utility MUSKİ and the municipality’s disaster coordination centre were among the units involved.
What is forecast for Wednesday
The Meteorology Service’s 4th Regional Directorate expects the rain to continue from the early hours of Wednesday, 28 October. Its warning runs from 00:00 on Wednesday to 11:00 on Thursday, Muğla Gazetesi reported.
Very heavy to severe rain is expected along the coast in Datça, Bodrum, Ula, Marmaris, Köyceğiz, Ortaca, Dalaman, Fethiye and Seydikemer. Heavy rain is forecast inland in Menteşe, Kavaklıdere, Yatağan and Milas. Forecasters warned of flash floods, waterlogging, landslides and lightning, and said strong winds could disrupt transport. We covered the orange warning for nine Muğla districts earlier on Tuesday.
Schools and the holiday
By about 21:15 on Tuesday we had found no report of a weather-related school closure for Wednesday from the Muğla Governor’s Office or any district governor. Wednesday is already a half day: under Türkiye’s national holidays law, the Republic Day holiday starts at 13:00 on 28 October, and schools close for the afternoon and for Thursday, 29 October.
For earlier storm damage on the coast, see our reports on flooding around Bodrum and on flooded greenhouses in Kaş, Kumluca and Finike. Our guide to living in Fethiye has more on the district.
Sources
- Fethiye’de sağanak su baskınına yol açtı, ev ve seralar sular altında kaldı (İHA via Haberler.com)
- Fethiye’de sağanak yaşamı ve tarımı sekteye uğrattı (Aksiyon)
- Fethiye’de sağanak hayatı olumsuz etkiledi (AA)
- Muğla’da sağanak mesaisi: Büyükşehir ekipleri 24 saatte 111 olaya (Muğla Gazetesi)
- Muğla’da şiddetli yağış uyarısı: 12 ilçe için sel ve heyelan riski (Muğla Gazetesi)
- 28-29 Ekim okullar tatil, 30 Ekim’de ders var (Yeni Alanya)
Photo: allen watkin from London, UK / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
