FIRST HEAVY WINTER RAIN ON UPPER OZANKOY SLOPES

Location: Ozanköy

Upper Ozankoy rests along sloped residential terrain that channels rainfall downward toward the main connecting routes. The first heavy winter rain does not immediately create flooding. It alters surface behaviour before visible accumulation occurs.

The exposure emerges during transition.

After prolonged dry autumn conditions, hillside roads accumulate fine dust, light soil residue and fragmented gravel along shoulders. When the first significant winter rain arrives, water interacts with this layer unevenly.

The result is localized surface inconsistency.

A common scenario unfolds within the first 30 to 60 minutes of heavy rainfall. Vehicles descending from upper Ozankoy toward the main corridor encounter a road that appears uniformly wet. In reality, friction varies between clean asphalt patches and thin sediment layers activated by water.

Braking response becomes irregular.

The driver applies steady pressure approaching a bend or junction. One tire segment may grip normally while another encounters reduced traction. Steering correction becomes sharper than expected.

No dramatic skid occurs. The vehicle remains controllable. The variation lies in predictability.

Upper Ozankoy bends are moderate and familiar to residents. Familiarity reduces anticipatory caution. When friction shifts suddenly during first heavy rainfall, habitual timing misaligns.

Another factor is water flow pattern.

Hillside streets do not drain symmetrically. Water tends to collect briefly along inner curve edges and near driveway entrances before dispersing. These micro-accumulations create short friction gradients.

Vehicles ascending the slope may experience slight wheel spin when accelerating through partially sedimented sections. Descending vehicles experience extended stopping distance in the final meters before a junction.

The first heavy rainfall after dryness differs from later winter storms. Once repeated rains wash away loose residue, surface behaviour stabilizes. The highest sensitivity window exists during the first major precipitation event.

Between 17:00 and 19:00, when light levels decline and rain persists, visibility reduction compounds the friction shift. Drivers process both altered grip and softened contrast simultaneously.

Importantly, this is not a landslide condition. It is not structural instability. It is micro-level surface transition triggered by water meeting accumulated particulate.

Upper Ozankoy’s slope amplifies the effect compared to flat village cores. Gravity assists both vehicle movement and sediment migration.

As rain continues for several hours, loose material disperses and drains toward lower segments. Surface behaviour becomes more uniform.

But during the initial heavy rainfall window, the road behaves differently than memory suggests.

The asphalt looks predictably wet.

It responds unpredictably in small intervals.

In Ozankoy’s upper slopes, the first heavy winter rain reshapes braking and steering response more than visual cues indicate.

The geometry remains constant.

The surface chemistry shifts first.