ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Heavy snow and continuous rainfall have hit the Kurdistan Region since Saturday, causing water accumulation in Erbil neighborhoods and closure of key roads in the Region. Several people have also gone missing. Authorities have urged people to exercise caution and avoid travelling to areas affected by the wave.
Shakhawan Saeed, spokesperson for Erbil Civil Defense Directorate, reported water accumulation in several neighborhoods due to overnight rainfall. "We are not calling it a 'flood' because the affected areas are limited, and unlike previous years, there have been no casualties," he told Rudaw on Sunday.
He also said that water has only entered a few houses as a result of the rainfall in Erbil, with teams being deployed across the city to monitor the situation.
Saeed also warned that public negligence worsens water accumulation.
"Unfortunately, some people are not cooperating; blankets have been found thrown into waterways, and trash is being dumped into manholes," he said, adding that "These actions cause water levels to rise and pool."
In Erbil's Soran administration - which includes Mergasor, Rawanduz and Choman districts - heavy snowfall has caused major road closures and created traffic obstacles. Halgurd Sheikh Najib, head of the administration, told Rudaw that the Zini Warte road - connecting the area to Sulaimani province - is completely closed due to heavy snowfall, and that other roads are facing “significant traffic obstacles."
He urged people not to visit the affected areas for tourism purposes as this could put their lives in danger. "Our teams are clearing the roads. If tourists come, they will face difficulties and distract the teams from their work."
In the administration’s Sidakan subdistrict, eight people have gone missing in the mountains, while seven hikers trapped in snow have called for rescue, according to Karwan Mirawdali, director of Soran Civil Defense.
He told Rudaw that they have been on high alert since last night, but so far they have not been able to learn anything regarding the whereabouts of the missing people. "We do not know if they are stuck in the snow or what has happened to them. All we can say for now is that their whereabouts are unknown," he said.
"The seven hikers have three vehicles with them. Our teams will attempt to rescue them today, and I will personally go to assist," he said, adding that they "can only rescue the individuals themselves, not their vehicles, due to the ongoing snowfall and the difficult terrain."
"If the seven hikers are not rescued today, the heavy snowfall will make [the process of] saving them even more difficult tomorrow," he cautioned.
He also warned people against taking risks in the snow. "Last night alone in the Alana Valley, we extracted 83 vehicles from the snow. Citizens are putting their lives in danger and making the work of our staff much harder," he said.
Meanwhile, Shoresh Hassan, director of the Warte sub-district in Soran administration, told Rudaw that heavy snowfall in areas located on the borders of Soran and Raparin administrations has completely closed the key Zini Warte road.
In Erbil province’s Koya district, Haibat Sultan Mountain experienced a landslide due to heavy rainfall, blocking the main road connecting Koya with the Raparin administration and Sulaimani.
District mayor Tariq Haidari told Rudaw that traffic has come to a complete standstill due to the landslide." He added that "teams have arrived at the site and are working to clear it. We urge everyone to avoid this road and use alternative routes, as the fallen rocks are very large and have completely blocked the way."
In Sulaimani province, the Kele border crossing road in the Raparin administration, connecting the Kurdistan Region with Iran, has also been closed. Abbas Aziz Bapir, director of customs for the administration, said that "traffic through the Kele border crossing is completely halted," noting that "more snow has fallen on the Iranian side, blocking the road."
"From last night until dawn today, teams were working to clear the Kele road, but so far, due to the heavy snow, no traffic is possible from the Iranian side at all," he added.
This current wave of rain and snow is the second of its kind this year in the Kurdistan Region, with the Region’s meteorological department warning that precipitation will continue intermittently until the end of the week.
Earlier this month, the Kurdistan Region and parts of Iraq experienced three consecutive days of heavy rainfall, triggering severe flash floods. A preliminary report from the Kurdistan Region’s Joint Crisis Coordination Center (JCC) recorded five deaths, 19 injuries, and damage to 2,225 homes across the Kurdistan Region and Kirkuk province.
Chamchamal district in western Sulaimani province was the hardest-hit area, with two fatalities and 12 injuries reported. According to the JCC, approximately 1,607 homes were damaged, 200 vehicles destroyed, 115 shops and workplaces affected, and 450 projects impacted.
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