United Arab Emirates Struggles to Recover From Record Rainfall as Desert Nation is Heavily Flooded

In the days following the event, the city struggled to return to normal, leaving holidaymakers stranded and residents having to pay to have water pumped out of their homes.

The AP Press reports that this was the heaviest rainfall since records began in 1949. The city saw 5.59 inches of rainfall in 24 hours, even though in an average year, it tends to see 3.73 inches.

Many users shared videos of the situation online, which showed lightning striking buildings, trees falling down in seconds, and extensive damage to roads and buildings.

Many flights were canceled, and passengers were not given any further information about how to get home or what to do.

The AP Press reported that 22 tankers with vacuum pumps were needed to remove water from the runway to resume flights.

The reason given was to support operations recovery due to the bad weather in Dubai. Emirates urged customers to contact their booking agent or the Emirates office to re-book their flights.

Schools were closed and most workers went back to remote working, with very few having to venture out to go to work and help the flood relief efforts.

The deaths include a 70-year-old man whose car was swept away by the floods, as well as an infant and twelve children whose school bus was also swept away by flooding.

She was helping her mother clear the water from outside her house, who said she hid away from the storm until it had eased.

Dubai barely sees any rainfall throughout the year, so the city wasn’t prepared for an event like this.

While the exact costs are unknown, AGBI reported that the National Centers for Environmental Information found that each flooding event costs around $4.7 billion in damage.

The BBC reported that UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Nahyan issued a public order for authorities to study the condition of Dubai’s infrastructure and limit any damage caused.

As desert regions like Dubai witness unusual weather, experts stress the need for comprehensive studies to understand these anomalies better and predict future climatic shifts.

Omar AlYazeedi, deputy director general of the NCM, emphasized that the agency “did not conduct any seeding operations during this event” (via CNBC).

They stressed the importance of accurate reporting to prevent public confusion and ensure community trust.

This method was reportedly not applicable during the severe thunderstorms that struck Dubai, making seeding operations unfeasible.

This technique enhances rainfall, which is vital for replenishing local water supplies and supporting agricultural activities.

In California, the Department of Water Resources has been conducting cloud seeding operations since the 1950s in order to increase snowpack levels in the Sierra Nevada mountains. This method has been found to contribute an additional 400,000 acre-feet of water annually (via the California Natural Resources Agency).

The country extensively used cloud seeding to ensure clear skies for important events like the 2008 Beijing Olympics (via The Guardian).

According to his statement, the agency refrains from seeding during extreme weather to avoid compromising the safety and effectiveness of their operations.

This evolving weather pattern is challenging the traditional desert climate paradigm of the region.

Residents were urged to stay indoors and adhere to safety guidelines to mitigate risks during the unstable weather conditions.

The city’s drainage systems were unable to handle the sheer amount of rain water, highlighting the need for infrastructural adjustments in light of changing climate patterns.

Enhancements are necessary to better withstand such extreme weather events, ensuring quicker recovery and minimal disruption in the future.