Authorities in northern and eastern Syria have urged residents living along the banks of the Euphrates River to move inland after water levels rose over the past two days, causing flooding in several areas. Officials reported no casualties, but the floods have damaged agricultural fields, homes, and businesses in the provinces of Raqqa and Deir el-Zour.
Unusual Flooding After Decades of Dam Control
The flooding is a rare event in Syria, as Turkey built dams decades ago that regulate the flow of the Euphrates into Syria and Iraq. However, higher-than-usual rainfall this year has prompted authorities to open some gates at the Euphrates Dam to relieve pressure. According to state news agency SANA, about 1,800 cubic meters (63,566 cubic feet) of water per second are now flowing through the dam, and water levels in the river could rise by an additional 2 meters (6.5 feet) in the coming hours.
Impact on Local Communities
Among those affected is Mohammed Amin, 65, whose famous Greek House restaurant in Raqqa was partially submerged. Water several centimeters high filled the main hall, where fish could be seen swimming. “Our losses are huge,” Amin said, adding that refrigerators stopped working and more than 200 chairs near the river were washed away. Sabha Mohammed, 50, displaced from the town of Maadan in Raqqa province, lost much of her belongings when floodwaters swept through her tent on the riverbank. “It was early in the morning when the flood began,” she recounted.
Warnings and Precautions
Syria’s Civil Defense has warned residents not to swim in the river and to avoid crossing small bridges or using boats during the flood. Authorities also called on people to move with their livestock to higher ground. The region had earlier witnessed clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters this year, compounding the challenges faced by local communities.
