Floods hit Turkey’s southwestern coast, killing one

ISTANBUL

Stormy weather disrupted daily life in Antalya, Jan. 13. DHA Photo

Storms and heavy rainfall caused flooding in Turkey’s southwest on Jan. 13, killing one person in the province of Muğla.

Ali Kaplan, 62, died after being caught in the flood waters near the resort town of Köyceğiz along the Mediterranean coast.

The stormy weather also disrupted daily life in the touristic province of Antalya, prompting the local authorities to close schools on Jan. 14. Winds reached 155 kilometers per hour in Kemer, causing considerable material damage. Meanwhile, floods blocked traffic between the city center of Antalya and Kemer.

Power was also cut for several hours when giant waves hit the beach of Konyaaltı, near Antalya’s city center, damaging boats.

Floods and unusually cold weather has also hit agriculture, a mainstay of the local economy along with tourism. Orange farms were frozen while trees were swept by the storm and fruit was destroyed ahead of the harvest period.

The weather also hit the transportation of agricultural goods to the other regions of the country. Heavy rainfall is expected to return on Jan. 16, along with strong winds.