Rescue teams in Turkey’s northern Black Sea region pulled off a dramatic save on Monday, airlifting 17 stranded people to safety amid devastating floods. Heavy rains battered provinces like Rize, Giresun, Artvin, and Trabzon since Saturday, sparking landslides that wrecked roads, bridges, and homes, and left folks cut off from help.
The Turkish military stepped up with three helicopters—two from the Land Forces and one from the Air Forces—to reach the hard-hit area in Rize. They successfully evacuated everyone without a hitch, according to the Ministry of National Defence.
With so much destruction, crews now rely on helicopters to reach Rize’s remote highland plateaus. Local reports highlight the heartbreak: popular riverside bungalows, a big draw for tourists chasing stunning views, got swept away by raging floodwaters.
Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu shared that the government is pumping 14 million Turkish liras—around $338,000—into emergency aid for Rize. Over 1,400 workers, backed by 567 machines and vehicles, are still on the ground tackling cleanup and recovery from the Black Sea flooding.
But while the Black Sea area deals with this deluge, much of Turkey faces the flip side: a brutal drought squeezing water supplies and farms. New data from the State Meteorological Service paints a stark picture for the water year from October 2024 to August 2025. The country saw just 401.1 kilograms of rain per square meter—27% below the long-term average and 29% less than last year. It’s the lowest national rainfall in 52 years.
The drought hits hardest in Southeastern Anatolia, where rain fell more than 53% short of normal. The Mediterranean region marked its driest year in 51 years, while Marmara and Aegean areas logged their lowest in 18 years. Even Ankara, the capital, endured its driest spell in 47 years. Only some spots in the Black Sea region bucked the trend with above-average downpours.
This mix of extreme floods and widespread drought in Turkey underscores the growing challenges from shifting weather patterns, experts say, as teams work to support affected communities.
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