JEDDAH: Two days of heavy rains have completely drowned Umm Al-Khair District in the east of the city reminding residents here of the devastation caused by the floods in November last year. The district experienced the floods last year as heavy rains then busted a dam on its western side. “The rain water, instead of moving to the flood canal, collected on the streets drowning our homes and vehicles,” a resident said. The Civil Defense swiftly evacuated marooned residents of the district as soon as the rain stopped Thursday afternoon using five boats and a helicopter. The district is situated on an uneven area and the dam's flood canal was not opened enough to drain the water. Hussain Al-Qahtani, spokesman of the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) said heavy rain which started at 10.15 A.M continued for over two hours. “The speed of north-westernly wind was about 60 kmph. About 50 mm rainfall was recorded, while the level of 2009 rain was 90 mm,” he said. “The clouds will move to Taif and Al-Laith Thursday night and it is expected to rain there,” said Al-Qahtani. Traffic jams on thoroughfares was a common scene in the city. Some youth turned volunteers and guided the traffic on thoroughfares to ease the congestion. Hani Abu Ras, Jeddah Mayor, visited Umm Al-Khair District at 3.30 P.M. and had a tough time in answering pointed questions from the residents.
