As the death toll rises to 77 in the wake of Wednesday's flooding, residents have blamed the deaths and destruction on the city's poor rainwater drainage system. This could cost an estimated SR3 billion to fix, according to a city official. However, only SR1 billion is now being spent on a new system. Residents said that the situation has been deteriorating over the years and nothing has been done to protect them from heavy storms. The horrific scene of the drowned dead, submerged houses and cars, and public panic from Wednesday's flooding will traumatize them for years, said residents. They have already marked it as “The Wednesday Flood”. They are now asking questions. What can be done to prevent such a disaster? The answer seems to be an additional check of SR3 billion, said Eng. Ibrahim Kutubkhanah, Jeddah's deputy mayor for construction. The city is now only 30 percent protected against imminent dangers of flooding, he said. There are now 37 new projects in progress worth SR1 billion which will help to boost the city's immunity to floods, he said. Wednesday's rainfall of more than three inches swept through the one-inch rain pipes installed in the city. The current SR1 billion project to protect Jeddah will include concrete tunnels to control the direction of the floodwater and new pipelines for rainwater drainage, Kutubkhanah said. The projects would be carried out across the city's most vulnerable areas including King Fahd Road, Makaronah St., Prince Majed St., the intersection of Madina Road and Quraish St., Jamia St., Khalidiyah District, and Hera St., Sari St., Palestine St., and Umm Al-Qura St. Included in the project are new drainage systems in eastern districts which were heavily affected by the downpour, including Al-Samir, Al-Ajwad, Al-Manar, Jamia, and other northeastern districts like Faiha, Salmiya, and Buriyman. Other projects in their second phase and expected to be completed soon are being done on TV and Radio St., Rawabi Dist., King Abdullah Road, Rawdah St., and Shati District. Other areas and streets vulnerable to floods will be studied for future projects.
