The key facts
- The governor called the downpour the heaviest since records began in 1942; 255.8 mm of precipitation fell in Beykoz
- As of October 15 — two dead; on October 16 euronews reported three dead and five missing
- 1,277 inundations, 15 landslides, 47 people trapped; schools closed until Monday, 43 flights to Istanbul Airport diverted
Record rainfall paralyzed Istanbul
On Wednesday, October 15, 2026, torrential rains hit Istanbul, causing widespread flooding and chaos in the city. Istanbul Governor Davut Gül stated that this was the highest level of precipitation in the city since meteorological records began in 1942, that is, in more than 80 years. Local media, according to euronews, noted that the downpour was one of the heaviest since 1985. In the Asian district of Beykoz, 255.8 mm of precipitation fell, in Eyüpsultan — 195.9 mm, in Sarıyer — 195.6 mm, and in other districts — from 35 to 110 mm. Videos showed water currents sweeping away parked cars and people being evacuated through a first-floor window.
Victims and injured
According to reports from October 15, two people died. In the Balat district, a 14-year-old teenager was electrocuted after stepping into a puddle and died in hospital despite resuscitation efforts. In the Ayazağa district (Sarıyer), a 34-year-old man, identified as S.Y., slipped in a water current, hit his head on the curb, and died in hospital. Investigations have been launched into both incidents. Three more people were receiving treatment in hospital, the governor said. The next day, October 16, euronews reported in a video story that three people had died and five were missing.
Scale of the damage
According to the Istanbul Governor's Office, 1,277 cases of inundation, 15 landslides, 47 cases of people being trapped, 13 fallen trees, and two torn-off roofs were recorded. 76 cars, 808 residential buildings, and 280 workplaces were damaged. City services received 8,203 reports — of inundations, overflowing manholes, road subsidence, and falling trees. Firefighters rescued a person trapped in a basement, and passers-by pulled a woman out of the current. In Ayazağa, water flooded the Phoenix studios, where singer Murat Boz, actress Demet Özdemir, and hundreds of others were trapped; they were evacuated by boat. Residents of the district said that a stream upstream had burst its banks, and a sudden surge swept through the district, carrying away dozens of cars. In some neighborhoods, authorities cut off electricity and gas as a precaution; some homes were left without water.
Transport and government measures
The Ministry of Transport reported that 43 flights heading to Istanbul Airport on the Black Sea coast were diverted, and three more flights to Sabiha Gökçen Airport on the Asian side, which also temporarily suspended takeoffs due to strong winds. The governor announced the closure of schools throughout the city until Monday and urged residents not to leave their homes 'unless absolutely necessary,' and those living in basement and ground-floor premises to spend the night on safer upper floors. He also advised avoiding stream beds, underpasses, and other flood-risk zones. Employees with disabilities and parents of young children were granted administrative leave, and motorcycles were banned from the roads. The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority AFAD set up a crisis headquarters. Rain is forecast to continue until the end of the week.
