Global Floods Wreak Havoc: 2 Dead in Turkey, Thousands Displaced Across 3 Continents

Deadly floods have struck Albania and Montenegro after days of heavy rain and snow, with rivers bursting their banks and submerging farmland and roads. Homes remain surrounded by water as both countries continue battling the severe flooding [257716].

In Senegal, torrential rain and flash flooding submerged parts of the capital, Dakar, on Monday, killing several people. Other regions of the country were also affected, and authorities reported damage to infrastructure across the affected areas [256291]. The education ministry subsequently postponed the start of the school year, citing "primarily by the need to ensure the safety and protection" of children [256270].

In central Chile, heavy rain caused the Mapocho River to overflow, forcing residents to leave their homes. Authorities are airlifting affected residents to safety [258054].

Sweden has been hit by a storm bringing snow, rain, and flooding across multiple regions. The national weather agency, SMHI, issued several yellow warnings [258014]. In Bohuslän, a school was forced to close, and rescue services reported extensive damage to the local and regional road network [258014]. Heavy rain also hit Lysekil and Sotenäs municipalities, flooding villas, apartment buildings, and a zoo. One resident, Kristina Troedsson, saw her holiday home flooded for the third time, saying: "You feel powerless" [257978]. Wet snow has also disrupted traffic in Dalarna and other areas, with warnings for strong winds in parts of Gävleborg and Uppsala counties [257975].

In Turkey, a seven-story building collapsed in Maltepe, a district in Istanbul. Two people died in the incident, and authorities dispatched multiple search and rescue teams to the site [257106].

In Spain, a man was found dead inside a vehicle in a flooded underpass in Les Franqueses del Vallès, near Barcelona. Cleaning workers discovered the body at around 11:00 and alerted authorities. The victim was inside a van in a tunnel on the Ronda Nord, on the C-352 road. Early investigations show no signs of violence or foul play. If the death is confirmed to be linked to the floods, it would be the third storm-related death, following one man who drowned in a garage in Montornès del Vallès and another who died when a wall collapsed in Tordera. The storm also left two people missing. Last night alone, firefighters carried out 45 rescues of people trapped in vehicles or elevators due to the rain [256393].

In Thailand, severe floods have become a recurring problem for major carmakers like Toyota and Honda, who now treat the floods as a "new normal" — a permanent change in conditions they must plan for. Thailand is a key manufacturing hub for global automakers, and when floods hit, factories shut down, parts run short, and production slows worldwide. In response, companies are moving factories to higher ground, building flood walls, and spreading their supply chains across different locations. These steps cost money but reduce the damage from future floods [258165].

Meanwhile, in Indonesia, thousands of students in Sumatra are rebuilding after devastating floods and landslides struck in late November 2025. The disaster damaged school buildings across the region, forcing education to a halt. Authorities are now rebuilding damaged facilities with stronger, disaster-resistant designs, with local communities joining the effort. Schools are being redesigned to serve as safe shelters when disasters strike again [256188].