Apr 18, 2024. Posted by Periscope - Hellas
The
unprecedented deluge caused widespread flooding, submerged streets, felled
trees, saw flights diverted away from the world’s busiest airport, DXB, and
disrupted daily life across the country - but also saw acts of kindness
The
unprecedented storm has caused widespread flooding, submerged streets, felled
trees, shuttered schools, saw flights diverted away from the world’s busiest
airport, DXB, and disrupted daily life across the country.
Residents
took to social media platforms on Wednesday to share images and stories of the
devastation caused by the torrential downpour.
Speaking to
Al Arabiya English, a resident of Al Waqa 1 in Dubai, Shahez Ahmed, said:
“Residents, including myself, have been severely affected by the flooding,
particularly in our building located in the corner of the area. The inundation
of the roads saw the water breach our building, infiltrating critical areas
such as the water pump room and the electrical room, leading to a power
outage.”
Ahmed
further explained: “Consequently, we have been without water, electricity, and
gas for more than 24 hours now, with no option to prepare food or carry out
basic household tasks. Despite continuous attempts to reach out to the building
maintenance team, there has been little to no progress in resolving the
situation.”
He said:
“The flooding has also obstructed access to the building, making it impossible
for grocery deliveries to reach us. As a result, residents, some of whom are
trapped indoors, have been forced to navigate through waist-high water to
procure essential supplies.”
Ahmed
added: “This unprecedented event has left long-term residents like myself, who
have called Dubai home for 24 years, shocked and concerned. Never before have
we witnessed such severe flooding and rainfall in this city.”
A resident
in Arabian Ranches, who asked not to be named, told Al Arabiya English on
Wednesday she was without power after the flooding. “As of now, my house has no
electricity or water, the roof in my master bedroom has collapsed, and water is
leaking from the roof in every other room and garage.”
Residents
in Damac Hills reported blown fuse boxes, power outages, and water gushing from
ceilings and under doors
Other
residents reported commuter chaos amid severe disruption at Dubai International
Airport
Qasim
Sharif, a traveler scheduled to fly to Bahrain on Tuesday, said: “We were made
to sit in the plane for two hours before being told that the flight was
canceled.”
Sharif
added: “But that was just the beginning of my problems. Firstly, there was no
Metro or taxi at the airport. After waiting for another two hours, when I
finally managed to get a taxi, the next challenge was to get home in Town
Square. All major roads were water-logged, and at one point, I thought I
wouldn’t be able to get home and would have to check in to the nearest hotel.”
“Luckily,
though, my taxi driver was a lifesaver who never gave up. Between him and me,
we kept on changing routes, and after two to three hours, he managed to get me
home. It was an apocalyptic experience, but I was glad that I was with my
family by night.”
Prakriti
Mahindra, another resident, found herself stranded at her workplace in JLT on
Tuesday night. She said: “Since everything was flooded, I couldn’t get home. I
somehow managed to get to the Taj JLT hotel. They were fully booked, but were
really amazing and accommodated me at the last minute.”
Humanitarian
heroes
Amidst all
the chaos, heartwarming stories of humanity emerged.
Ludhani
said until 8.45 p.m., she was still stuck at the same spot, with traffic ground
to a standstill. “Everyone was sitting in their cars. It was, honestly
speaking, something I could never have imagined. It was raining heavily. All
five lanes were stuck.”
Her
daughter forwarded her a message from Nasir Amir Qureshi, 36, the co-founder of
Zeizzu, a chauffeur service in Dubai.
He had sent
out a broadcast message that got forwarded multiple times, saying: “If you are
stuck – just call us, and we will send one of our drivers across.”
Ludhani
said she reached out to Qureshi, who said he was in the process of sending his
50 drivers out on foot to rescue people who were stuck in their cars and
offered to drive their vehicles home for them while they sought public
transport home or an alternative place to stay.
“I
explained to him where I was. He told me to share my live location and that he
would send a driver. Around 9:15 p.m. he sent a driver, who took the keys to my
car,” she said. “I took the overpass over Emirates Towers and met my colleagues
on the other side, and they were able to get me home.”
Ludhani
added: “The driver [from the chauffeur service] returned my car home at 1 a.m.
He was stuck for hours, just trying to get the car home. I asked him (Qureshi)
what I could pay his driver for this service. I was desperate – I’d have paid
anything. But he kept saying, ‘It is free. No charge. I am doing this for
humanity.’ I was amazed. It restored my faith in people – in humanity.”
Qureshi
later told Al Arabiya English: “I was myself stuck in Sharjah, but my
co-founder and I agreed that we would send our 50-man driving fleet across to
whoever needed help. Sheikh Zayed Road was completely blocked, so our team had
to physically walk up to the cars.”
“Some of
our drivers got drenched multiple times, and we had to brief them to carry
extra clothes and supplies, but even their bags got soggy in the rain.”
Qureshi
added: “In my religion (Islam) we are taught that in difficult times, if you
can help someone, you should, in whatever way you can.”
Anjum
Iftikhar, a resident of DAMAC Hills 1, who was born and raised in Dubai, said:
“I haven’t seen this amount of rainfall and its intensity in a single day in my
lifetime of stay in UAE.”
“Whilst we
do know the challenges residential communities are facing to bring their life
back to normal as per the damages witnessed via the videos circulating, we have
to praise the unsung heroes assisting others to combat this situation.”
‘Unprecedented’
insurance claims likely
Policybazaar.ae
CEO Neeraj Gupta told Al Arabiya English the cost of repairs to houses, cars
and businesses could individually run into thousands of dirhams, as he said the
country would likely witness an “unprecedented” number of claims.
“The exact
amount will only be known in a few days once all the affected people who have
bought insurance policies start reporting their claims and the surveyors start
filing their estimates,” he explained. “However, what we saw yesterday was
unprecedented. Even the insurers are currently struggling to understand how to
handle such claim volumes.”
Gupta
added: “Claims will get registered from today and over the next 15-30 days. The
biggest loss will be for users with only third-party insurance as most
insurance companies will not cover across this.”
He added:
“It is important to note that third-party insurance policies do not cover
damage to the insured vehicle caused by flood or rain.”
He said it
is not recommended to skip recommended add-ons like roadside assistance and
specific covers that protect against natural calamity.
According
to Gupta, drivers should be careful while driving in flooded/water-clogged
areas as some policies may not cover all aspects arising out of flood and rain
damage.
“These
heavy rains serve as a stark reminder of the importance of having proper
insurance coverage. By investing in insurance for cars, shops, and malls,
individuals and businesses can safeguard themselves from the financial
consequences of unforeseen events,” he advised.
Record
rainfall
The United
Arab Emirates on Tuesday witnessed the largest amount of rainfall in its modern
history over a 24-hour period, marking the highest since climatic data
recording began in 1949, Emirates News Agency WAM reported.
The
National Center of Meteorology confirmed a record-breaking rainfall – about
120mm of rain - drenched the country within 24 hours, in an exceptional event
in the climatic history of the UAE.
The rain
shuttered schools, saw public events cancelled, and shopping malls suffering
serious damage.
Tanker
trucks were dispatched on Wednesday across the country to pump away the water.
Images
posted on social media some residents take to kayaks and paddle boards to
navigate the knee-high waters.
Regional
flooding
Torrential
rains and strong winds have also battered neighbouring Bahrain and Oman, where
at least 18 people were killed in flooding.
Al Arabiya
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