SHARJAH // Sharjah Police rescued 30 Emirati families in Kalba, Khor Fakkan and Al Madam areas after rainwater flooded their homes.
The families were sheltered in hotels, while residents in Sharjah’s eastern region were also warned to stay clear of valleys during heavy rain, as police cordoned off Wadi Al Helo because of flooding.
Sharjah Police said that all major roads are open. However, traffic is moving at a slow pace.
Major Jasim bin Heda, from the operations department, said that there was heavy traffic on Mohammed bin Zayed and Al Wahda roads. “We urge motorists to keep a safe distance between vehicles and stay away from water pools forming on the emirate’s roads,” he said.
“In the eastern region, police patrols have cordoned Wadi Al Helo road due to flooding and as a precautionary measure.
“Police operations are coordinating with the municipality to tackle any reported problems on the emirate’s roads.”
Abdulkhaliq Abdullah, director of the engineering department at Sharjah Airport, said that there have been no cancellations.
“There has been delays, however, there are no cancellations so far,” he said, adding that several flights to Dubai Airport were redirected to Sharjah Airport due to the weather.
Sharjah Municipality has closed all public parks due to the heavy rainfall and it has deployed emergency crews and water pumps to clear floodwater in various areas.
“Until now, everything is under control in the emirate; teams are working on clearing water pools on the main roads and other reported areas,” said Abdulrazaq Al Hamadi, director of the water and sewage department at Sharjah Municipality.
Sharjah Civil Defence called on residents to not go outside. “Residents need to stay indoors to make sure that Civil Defence teams are not hindered in case of emergencies,” said Brigadier Abdullah Al Suwaidi, the Civil Defence director.
In Umm Al Quwain, authorities were offering similar warnings to residents, to drive safely and slowly and be cautious when out in such weather.
The public works and services department in UAQ postponed the closing ceremony of the activities of the afforestation week, where trees were planted in areas previously bare.
Meanwhile, Ajman Civil Defence said it was prepared to respond to emergency cases. Col Nasser Al Zari, head of the media and public relations department, urged people to stay at home, to take precautions to avoid electrical problems and to avoid beaches and valleys.
The rain did not spare Fujairah, leaving streets clogged with water and farms inundated on Wednesday. In Ras Al Khaimah, police closed the road leading to Jebel Jais and Wadi Al Qor in Al Minae area.
tzriqat@thenational.ae
* Additional reporting by Rezan Oueiti