Following the heavy rainfall that affected Istanbul between October 13-18, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) has announced the balance sheet regarding the intervention, evacuation, cleaning, and relief efforts carried out across the city.
According to the statement by the IMM, 9,217 personnel along with 2,564 vehicles and construction equipment were deployed in the field following the floods and inundations. Of the 19,880 reports received by municipal units, 19,761 were responded to.
It was stated that rainfall records for the last 80 years were broken in some districts of the city. Precipitation per square meter reached 305 kilograms in Beykoz, 294 in Şile, 238 in Sarıyer, and 220 in Eyüpsultan. Due to the intense rainfall, stream overflows, flooding, and ponding occurred in many locations.
EVACUATION AND CLEANING EFFORTS
The IMM reported that 859 people who were stranded due to floodwaters were evacuated to safe areas by the teams. Fire department teams worked in search, rescue, and evacuation efforts with 1,063 personnel, 606 vehicles and construction equipment, 244 motor pumps, and 587 submersible pumps.
İSKİ teams also carried out water drainage and interventions on sewer lines with 1,056 personnel and 649 vehicles. During the cleaning efforts, mud and waste accumulated in homes, workplaces, public buildings, and transportation points were removed.
The IMM Department of Environmental Protection and Control and İSTAÇ teams continued their work on a 24-hour basis, especially in areas heavily affected by the flood. Cleaning was performed on main arteries, squares, grates, rainwater drains, metro entrances, bus stops, and tram lines.
To collect waste accumulated at stream mouths, coastlines, and on the sea surface, 81 coastal cleaning vehicles and 9 sea surface cleaning boats were used. According to the statement, a total of 539,050 kilograms of waste was removed from the seas.
TRANSPORTATION, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND RELIEF SUPPORT
It was reported that many roads damaged by the flood were reopened to traffic following the intervention of the teams. The Ataşehir Halk Street Underpass, Avcılar Pier Street, Bağcılar Mehmet Akif Boulevard, Bakırköy İncirli Underpass, Beşiktaş Nispetiye Underpass, Kağıthane Çağlayan Underpass, and Sarıyer Cendere Street were among the points reopened to traffic.
It was stated that debris removal work is ongoing on Sarıyer Hadımkoru Street, and that the Şile Alacalı Main Road, where erosion occurred at a bridge pier, and some streets in the Kumbaba neighborhood of Şile are being kept temporarily closed to traffic.
Infrastructure repair and cleaning efforts were prioritized in the Ayazağa and Cendere regions of Sarıyer, which were most affected by the downpour, as well as in Şile. While mud and unusable items were removed from homes, workplaces, and factories where water drainage was completed, streets and avenues were washed.
Metro İstanbul extended metro and tram services until 02:00 to reduce the impact of the rainfall on transportation. In this context, 287 additional trips were organized; 62,367 passengers were served after midnight.
IMM Social Services teams also delivered aid to citizens affected by the flood. A total of 13,310 aid items were distributed in Sarıyer Ayazağa. Through mobile buffets and food distribution tents set up in the region, 21,865 hot meals, 21,573 cold sandwiches, and 24,500 drinks and snacks were provided.
For citizens in Şile who could not leave their homes, packaged meals were delivered to 175 households. It was announced that Istanbul Public Bread (Halk Ekmek) also sent bread and baby biscuits to Ayazağa between October 16-18, and that 1,476 aid requests had reached IMM Social Services units since the first days of the disaster.
News Source: 12punto
