Business owners in Fujairah were counting the cost of the flooding in the emirate that left a trail of destruction and forced them to close for three days.
Shops along Fujairah Corniche were among the worst hit by the floodwaters that caused shock and devastation earlier this week.
It was back to business on Saturday morning for restaurant and shop owners, who were hoping to see a return to some kind of normality, after several days of chaos caused by the deluge.
While some will be able to cover the cost of the repairs and replace damaged stock through their insurance, others told The National they would have to bear the expenses from their own pockets.
Ahla Zahra Groceries
“We had fridges, air-conditioning units damaged by about two feet [60 centimetres] of flooding across the entire store,” said Mohamed Musthafa, manager of Universal Electronics near the corniche.
“We suffered about Dh150,000 worth of damage to our stock, just from the water seeping across the main showroom and storage area.
“We were also closed for three days which was a significant loss of income as we take about Dh40,000 minimum a day on average.”
While the water damage to stock was covered by his company’s insurance, there was no way they would be able to recover the lost earnings, he added.
Emergency teams have been working around the clock since Tuesday night to rescue hundreds of people in various flood-affected areas of Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah.
Seven people were found dead as a result of the flooding, authorities announced on Friday.
More than 800 people were rescued and thousands more were placed in temporary accommodation, after widespread flooding caused by the unseasonal summer deluge.
Unexpected trade
Many of the businesses on Fujairah Corniche remained closed on Saturday, their entrances still waterlogged, making them all but impossible to reach for most customers.
However, some were open for business and determined to make up for lost earnings and time.
“We had no electricity for three days and it only came back on last night,” said Abul Razzaque, owner of Sahal Mobile Phones.
“The water was more than two feet high and it damaged a lot of equipment, especially mobile phone parts that we use for repairs.
“The damage isn’t covered by insurance so it’s going to have to be paid for by us. I reckon we’ve suffered damage around the value of Dh25,000.”
It was not all doom and gloom for Mr Razzaque though, as he said his company had picked up some unexpected trade as a result of the flooding.
“We’ve not had many customers this morning so far, but we’ve had a few who all want us to repair their phones that were damaged by the flooding,” he said.
The floodwaters caused more than financial damage to another business along the corniche.
“We had a computer with most of our files on it destroyed by the flooding,” said Naranya Sami, owner of Eye Care Centre opticians.
“I estimate the damage will end up costing us about Dh10,000 in total,” including lost earnings.
When The National visited the store, staff were busy repairing water damage to dozens of spectacle cases on the front counter as well as what was left of the company’s computer.
He said it may take a few days before customers return to the shops.
“We’re open again for business but most of our customers are staying at home because of the flooding,” said Shihab Kadavanda, manager of Ahla Zahra Groceries.
“You can’t blame them. People don’t want to wade through several feet of water to get to a shop.”
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Volunteers from the community service group Takatof sweep debris from a road, after the floods in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Takatof volunteers carry the collected debris away with a wheelbarrow. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Municipality workers drain water from a flooded road in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
The volunteers work on another part of the road. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Workers pump floodwaters from the roads into tankers in Fujairah city. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Life was returning to normal in the emirate, on Saturday. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
A vehicle surrounded by floodwaters. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Receding floodwaters in Fujairah city. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Eminence Private School surrounded by water after heavy rains in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Authorities are continuing with a clean-up operation in the city. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Waterlogged streets in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Sadaf Resturant during a clean-up and renovations after the floods. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
A waterlogged street in Kalba. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Residents Tarikul Alauddin and Mojammel Ali, from Bangladesh, outside their house in Kalba, which was heavily damaged by flooding and left with no electricity. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Property belonging to Wali Said, from Pakistan, inside his flooded home in Kalba. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Abdelbasit Hassan's home and car (not pictured) were damaged by the heavy rainfall in Kalba. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Tahidul Islam, from Bangladesh, sweeps out dirty water after the floods in Kalba subsided. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Municipality workers clean up an area affected by floods in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Staff at a restaurant scoop up water surrounding the premises in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Lorries slowly make their way on a heavily flooded road in the city. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
A car swept into a ditch by floodwaters in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
A construction vehicle partially submerged on a street in the city. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
People walk across pools of water. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
A vehicle stalled by heavy rain and floodwaters in Fujairah on Friday. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
A flooded area in Fujairah city. Photo: Fujairah Media Office -
Jama Al Ghurfa Mosque on Fujairah's corniche surrounded by floodwaters. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Vehicles on a waterlogged road in the city. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
A food and entertainment area surrounded by water in Fujairah, after days of rain. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Vehicles partially submerged on the streets of the city. Photo: Mahesh Jangam / @MaheshMj80202 / Twitter -
A stalled minibus on a street in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
A flooded shop on the corniche in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Drivers navigate a flooded motorway in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Floodwaters surround a leisure and entertainment area in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Towers in Fujairah city surrounded by floodwaters. Photo: Mahesh Jangam / @MaheshMj80202 / Twitter -
A dam in the emirate of Fujairah overflows. Photo: Fujairah Media Office -
A car makes its way through floodwaters . Khushnum Bhandari / The National
