Violent storm spawns powerful tornado in Izmir, leaving 18 injured, Turkey

A violent storm produced damaging hail and a powerful tornado in Izmir, Turkey, on Thursday, February 11, 2021, leaving at least 18 people injured and dozens of homes damaged. Hailstorms also inflicted damage to nearly 700 greenhouses in the Urla area.
Downpours began Thursday, February 11, and became heavier at midnight.
A powerful waterspout formed in Cesme District, overturning a crane, knocking over some vehicles, and leaving about 18 people injured when it hit land.
Much of the injured victims were workers staying in prefabricated housing units at a construction site in Alcati when the crane collapsed on the units.
Izmir governor Yavuz Selim Kosger described the event as unprecedented.
"This was a very powerful tornado. We have just inspected the coastline. Several cars in the area were flung over the rooftop of houses and were found far as eight to 10 meters (33 feet) away from their parking spots," the governor said Friday.
"It’s clear there is significant damage," he continued. The tornado was brief, but very strong, according to officials.
In an area near Alacati Port, homes and businesses suffered significant damage, added Kosger. Nearly 700 greenhouses in the Urla area were severely damaged by hail.
Izmir mayor Tunc Soyer expressed similar concern over property damage. "The financial damage caused by the tornado that appeared near Cesme Alcati Port is significant."
Soyer and Kosger noted that all emergency crews were made available to assist affected people in the city. The outcome would have been worse if not for the curfew imposed against the COVID-19 outbreak, Soyer stated.
"People were mostly at home. Otherwise, there could be casualties. We have seen tiles from the roofs hurtling toward streets. [The tornado] is incredible. It lifted cars into the air and hurled them. I think this is nature's way of punishing us as we upset the balance of nature."
Another tornado caused damage in Ayvalik district of western Balikesir province.
According to initial reports, four roofs were torn off, windows were broken in 12 buildings, damage occurred to 20 vehicles and four boats sank, the Anadolu reports.
In pictures: Powerful storm sends waterspout ripping through Turkey's Izmir causing severe damage pic.twitter.com/kTf0X0dgCQ
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) February 12, 2021
İzmir’e dolu değil yumurta yağdı resmen arkadaşlar #izmir pic.twitter.com/uOxCZu7BXx
— No Context İzmir (@izmirnocontext) February 11, 2021
#Video | Storm causes injuries, damage in western Turkey
16 people slightly injured due to waterspout in Izmir provincehttps://t.co/WyAXq0q1I0 pic.twitter.com/BGMMMxbP5S
— ANADOLU AGENCY (ENG) (@anadoluagency) February 12, 2021
Featured image credit: START/YouTube
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum.
Other support options include Patreon pledges, one-off payments using PayPal and purchasing products from our webshop.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.