Flood-hit Black Sea province tries to recover
ARTVİN
Authorities participating in a massive cleanup operation in the flood-hit Black Sea province of Artvin have said a man is missing, some 39 buildings have been torn down and around 1,500 houses have been damaged across the province.
The city was devastated by floods triggered by heavy precipitation on July 22, when some 170 kilograms of rain poured down per square meter.
Arhavi district of Artivan was the worst hit by the heavy rains.
“Ten buildings and nine houses toppled down. People are working hard to clean and heal the wounds in the district,” a local told Demirören News Agency on July 25.
“Some 430 houses and offices in the basements of the buildings have been filled with water. People are dealing with the flood in the aftermath of the rain,” said another.
According to the officials, the water and electricity supply networks have also been damaged in the district.
The cleanup operation has been conducted by some 500 gendarmerie commandos, who are helping the residents move their belongings out of the district zone.
Unfortunately, some 100 families lost all their belongings in the flood, said Arhavi Mayor Vasfi Kurdoğlu.
“The inhabitants lived a nightmare,” he added.
The residents have been cleaning the streets from the mud in the last two days, just two days after the municipality could supply water.
“It will not be the same as before but in three or four days, we want to clean the district from the mud,” the mayor added.
A local, talking to Demirören News Agency, said he was psychologically impacted by the disaster.
“It was a horrible day. The house is full of mud. I will never live here again,” he said.
“I have only a sofa bed left. The other belongings are all gone,” Ayşe Saka, a local lady, said.
The food aid for the district is supplied by the Red Crescent. The agency is supplying 11,000 portions of food daily to the flood victims.
Kerem Kınık, the head of the Red Crescent, said they were serving the victims with a team of 200 officials and volunteers.