Two dead in Istanbul after heaviest rainfall in 84 years causes severe flooding

Torrential downpours in Istanbul caused the city's heaviest rainfall since records began in 1942, triggering widespread flash flooding that left at least three people dead and four missing. Emergency personnel deployed over 8,000 workers to rescue more than 2,700 stranded residents. Authorities closed schools, placed non-essential workers on administrative leave, banned motorcycles, and diverted dozens of flights as heavy rain submerged roads and metro stations.

Record rainfall levels in Istanbul

• ▪Parts of Istanbul received nearly 100mm of rain in 12 hours, equivalent to one-seventh of the city's annual average precipitation.
• ▪The Omerli area of Beykoz on Istanbul's Asian side recorded nearly 194mm to 242kg per square metre of rainfall during the storm.
• ▪Istanbul Governor Davut Gül stated that Istanbul recorded its highest level of precipitation since official record-keeping began in 1942, describing it as the heaviest rainfall in over 80 years.

Fatalities and missing persons

• ▪Severe flash flooding in Istanbul resulted in at least three confirmed deaths and left four people missing, according to the Istanbul governor's office.
• ▪A 34-year-old man died in Istanbul after slipping on a pavement and hitting his head during the flooding in the Sariyer district.
• ▪A 14-year-old boy died after being electrocuted when he stepped into a puddle in the Balat area of Istanbul's Fatih district during the heavy rain.
• ▪Authorities discovered the body of a third flooding victim near Kagithane Creek in Istanbul's Kagithane district.

Emergency response and rescue operations

• ▪Turkey's AFAD disaster management agency deployed approximately 8,000 personnel and over 2,000 vehicles and construction machines across Istanbul to handle rescue operations.
• ▪Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci reported that emergency responders safely evacuated more than 2,700 stranded individuals across Istanbul during the flooding.
• ▪Emergency services in Istanbul responded to 1,277 flooding incidents, 15 landslides, and received over 2,500 weather-related calls during the storm.

School closures and administrative leave

• ▪Istanbul Governor Davut Gül ordered all schools across the city to suspend classes on Thursday and Friday, October 15–16, 2026, due to ongoing heavy rain warnings.
• ▪Turkish authorities granted administrative leave on Thursday, October 15, 2026, to public sector employees who are pregnant, disabled, veterans, or mothers with children under age eight.

Transport and travel disruptions

• ▪The Istanbul governor's office banned motorcycle traffic across the city starting Wednesday evening, October 14, 2026, to reduce road hazards during the flood.
• ▪Severe road flooding caused traffic density in Istanbul to reach 90 percent during the evening rush hour as streets and underpasses filled with water.
• ▪More than 50 flights heading to Istanbul Airport were diverted to alternative airports due to adverse weather conditions caused by the severe storm.