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One killed, several missing after rare floods hit Saudi capital

By C. J. Refsland on November 17, 2013 • ( 0 )

My Comment: This is very rare, flooding in Saudi Arabia. We’ve had rare storms in the Philippines, Super cell Tornadoes In our heartland (at least 70) and this too.

(RT) At least one person has died and several others are reportedly missing in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh as a result of severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall. Such floods are extremely rare for the kingdom, which is dominated by desert.

At least four people were reported missing in Riyadh, according to local media. One of them, a 26-year-old Yemeni woman, has been confirmed dead.

The body of the young woman was found in the Wadi Nimar valley, which is surrounded by steep banks and can therefore suddenly fill with water in case of rainfall, Al-Arabiya reported, citing the Saudi Civil Defense authority.

According to Saudi news website Sabq, the woman was washed away while attempting to cross the flooded area. She had been traveling in a car with her father, but they had to stop as it became too dangerous to remain in the vehicle.

The search continues for other people who went missing as a result of the rainfall, which experts have already called the worst in 30 years.

The Civil Defense Force said it received over 5,000 reports of incidents, including 4,968 in the capital. Almost 100 people trapped by the flooding were rescued, Gulf News reported. Defense teams also recovered 148 vehicles that were submerged under water.

Meteorologists said the rainfall in the central and eastern regions of Saudi Arabia, as well as in some Gulf areas, is expected to last until Thursday. It is believed that the rain – which has continued throughout Saturday and Sunday – will reach its peak at the beginning of next week, particularly in coastal areas between Khafji and Dammam.

The rain triggered flash floods in Riyadh and caused power cuts in parts of the city. Witnesses reported that many nearby shops had also flooded.

Authorities have advised citizens to remain indoors until the floodwater subsides. Schools and universities were closed in Riyadh on Sunday.

Pictures posted on Twitter show cars drowning in rainwater.

The eastern part of the country looks to be hit the most by the rains.

The government has set up a disaster management center in the holy city of Mecca and is planning to close schools and evacuate people in low-lying areas, Bahrain’s Gulf Daily News reported.