Story perspectives

Istanbul Deploys 46,597 to Respond to Floods

By Drooid · Oct 15, 2026, 6:23 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Gul Orders Stay-at-Home

Governor Davut Gul ordered a two-day stay-at-home in Istanbul after floods killed two people.
Two flood victims died, a 14-year-old in Fatih and a 34-year-old in Sariyer.
The municipality said rainfall was the highest since 1985, Istanbul’s heaviest in 84 years.
Authorities deployed 46,597 personnel, 2,288 vehicles and 14 boats to flood-hit districts.
Authorities ordered school closures Thursday-Friday, banned motorcycles, and urged basement residents to relocate.

Summary

Istanbul Floods Disrupt

Floodwaters breached Haciosman metro station ceiling and entered two hospitals, forcing emergency water removal.
Road sections collapsed in Eyüpsultan and Gaziosmanpasa, creating gaps and halting traffic.
A retaining wall fell at a Sultangazi primary school during classes; no students injured.
The historic Sadabad (Aziziye) Mosque in Kagithane was submerged, filling its courtyard with water.
Cable-car lines, the T5 tram, metro routes and 46 flights were limited or diverted after floods.

History

Historical Context

Turkey’s 9 September 2009 flash floods in Istanbul and the Marmara region killed 31 people and caused over $70 million in damage, a tragedy blamed on unplanned urban growth and weak drainage. Decades of similar events—1,076 floods between 1960-2014—have spurred the Marmara flood-risk plan, yet today’s rain again forces Governor Muammer Güler to order citywide stay-at-home orders.

1 of 3

Gul Orders Stay-at-Home

Governor Davut Gul ordered a two-day stay-at-home in Istanbul after floods killed two people.
Two flood victims died, a 14-year-old in Fatih and a 34-year-old in Sariyer.
The municipality said rainfall was the highest since 1985, Istanbul’s heaviest in 84 years.
Authorities deployed 46,597 personnel, 2,288 vehicles and 14 boats to flood-hit districts.
Authorities ordered school closures Thursday-Friday, banned motorcycles, and urged basement residents to relocate.

1 / 3