Syrian Civil Defense teams under the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management carried out wide‑scale operations across several provinces after severe downpours and flash floods struck the country through Wednesday night, October 28, 2026.
Responders conducted 165 field interventions across Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir ez‑Zor, Hama, Homs and Lattakia. Backed by heavy engineering machinery and local authorities, teams prioritized life‑saving missions, property protection and the clearing of critical public infrastructure after receiving more than 350 distress calls.
Emergency personnel rescued 15 civilians trapped in vehicles surrounded by rising floodwaters. One fatality was reported in western Raqqa following a road accident linked to the initial weather conditions. In the Kasrat Suroor area of rural Raqqa, responders assisted over 100 families stranded after an earthen culvert collapsed. Meanwhile, approximately 375 families evacuated the Sahlat al‑Banat, Al‑Yunan and Al‑Maqas displacement camps due to severe inundation.
Flooding rendered seven bridges, culverts and unpaved roads out of service. Structural damage was recorded at the Ratla, Al‑Kantari and Al‑Salmani bridges in Raqqa, as well as three bridges spanning seasonal valleys in Deir ez‑Zor. Emergency crews deployed heavy equipment to reopen blocked roads and clear accumulated water from streets, residential areas and more than 150 homes and public facilities, including two hospitals, several schools and bakeries. Field teams remain on high alert along the Syrian coast amid forecasts of further heavy rainfall.
Early‑warning departments issued public safety advisories urging residents to avoid low‑lying areas, valley beds, submerged roadways and swollen bridges. Authorities also warned against approaching active waterways and advised the public to secure loose structures, disconnect sensitive electronic equipment and solar systems, and stay clear of isolated trees and utility towers during ongoing thunderstorms.
The severe weather system caused widespread disruption across eastern and northern Syria, severing key transport routes and knocking out telecommunications. In Deir ez‑Zor, the provincial media directorate announced a complete loss of communications services after floodwaters damaged main fiber‑optic lines along both the Homs–Deir ez‑Zor and Aleppo–Deir ez‑Zor axes. Technical crews have been deployed to locate and repair the breaches.
Flooding also forced the closure of the strategic Deir ez‑Zor–Palmyra highway near the Al‑Shoula and Hreibsha areas. Asim Ghalion, Director of the Media and Communication Department at the Ministry of Defense, confirmed that Syrian Air Force helicopters were dispatched to conduct aerial rescue operations for civilians stranded by rising waters and blocked roads in the Deir ez‑Zor countryside.
In Raqqa province, officials reported that the main road connecting Deir ez‑Zor and Raqqa was severed at the Khneifis bridge bypass in Ma’adan. The Hneida–J’eidin road was also closed due to torrential runoff. West of Tabqa, heavy flooding caused severe structural damage to the Al‑Salmani bridge, cutting off the primary highway between Raqqa and Aleppo. Local authorities further warned motorists against using the Mansoura–Resafa road due to dangerous sub‑surface erosion and ground fissures that could trigger sudden road collapse.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
