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Authorities Urge Euphrates Riverbank Residents in Syria to Move Inland as Waters Rise
Water levels of the Euphrates River in northern and eastern Syria rose over two days, prompting officials on Tuesday to warn of possible flooding in Raqqa and Deir el-Zour as authorities urged residents on the banks to move inland.
Unusual rainfall this year forced authorities to open gates at the Euphrates Dam to reduce pressure, creating rare flooding in Syria since Turkey built dams decades ago controlling Euphrates flow into Syria and Iraq.
State news agency SANA reported about 1,800 cubic meters of water flowing per second after gates opened, with floods damaging agricultural fields and businesses in regions that earlier this year witnessed clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters.
Syria's Civil Defense issued warnings against swimming, using small bridges, or operating boats, ordering residents to evacuate with livestock to higher areas, while displaced residents like For Sabha Mohammed from Maadan lost belongings as flooding began early morning.
No casualties were reported in the rare flooding event, though extraordinary scenes emerged as water several centimeters high filled restaurant halls where fish were seen swimming, underscoring the unusual nature of the inundation across both provinces.