Fresh storm, tornadoes wreak havoc in Turkey’s south

ANTALYA

A new storm and fresh tornadoes have caused more damage in the southern Turkish province of Antalya, wrecking greenhouses and flooding neighborhoods two weeks after a similar disaster. 

According to private news agency İHA, the Alakır Creek flooded amid the storm on Feb. 7. Several houses and roads in the Kumluca district were left underwater.

“It’s been raining continuously since Dec. 1 here and the snow on the Taurus Mountains has also started to melt early. As a result, nearby creeks and the dam lake have caused to floods,” a local official told the agency.

Tornadoes were once again spotted in Kemer, Kumluca and Finike districts on Feb. 7 where fruit gardens and greenhouses were damaged, as oranges were taken away by strong winds and floodwater from inland to the coast.

Schools were off in several districts of the southern province of Antalya as experts warned of a “great risk” for deadly tornadoes and strong winds that could reach as fast as 100 kilometers per hour.

Three people had died in Antalya two weeks ago and another citizen went missing after storms and tornadoes hit the province, causing more than 100 million Turkish Liras worth of damage.