On Tuesday, April 16, 2024, the UAE experienced a historic day, after the country was exposed to the heaviest amount of rain, which continued for a full 24 hours and in many areas.

UAE Marine Meteorology revealed that the amount of rain the country was exposed to in 15 minutes exceeded 30 mm, while the amount of rain in some places exceeded 259 mm.

how did that happen? What exactly happened during the Dubai floods? This is what we will talk about in this article, my dear, in addition to how to behave in disasters, especially after the natural disaster has passed. Follow along with us!

Dubai Floods Events

The United Arab Emirates is a desert country, and it is strange that it recorded the largest amount of rain ever on that terrible day, when the highways all the way to Dubai Airport were flooded.

The United Arab Emirates worked to dry up the water by withdrawing it with huge machines on Wednesday, the day after the Dubai floods. It was one of the heaviest rains ever recorded there after the flood flooded Dubai International Airport, which led to the disruption of travel through the busiest airport in the city for world international travel.

The state-run Emirates News Agency (WAM) described the rain on Tuesday as “a historic climate event that exceeded anything documented since data collection began in 1949.” This was before the discovery of crude oil in this energy-rich country that was then part of a British protectorate known as the Trucial States.

Rain also fell in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, but it was not as heavy as across the UAE.

The floods raised speculation that "cloud seeding" - the practice of flying small planes through the clouds spraying chemicals intended to produce rainfall - led scientists to believe that cloud seeding may have contributed to the deluge.

But experts also said that the storm systems that caused the rains were expected well in advance and that cloud seeding alone would not have caused such flooding.

Several reports quoted meteorologists at the National Center of Meteorology as saying that they made six or seven cloud seeding flights before the rains.

Flight tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed that a UAE Navy cloud seeding plane flew across the country on Monday.

Views on Dubai Floods

1. The water may have reached a level higher than the standing man's waist, which is how several men were seen trying to cross the streets on foot after their car stopped moving.

2. A man tries to work on his SUV parked in standing water in the Dubai floods.

3. A bus stands abandoned in the heavy rain as the sky turns green as the storm hits the skies in Dubai floods.

4. Jordache Raffles, a British expatriate living in Dubai, told BBC News that experiencing the Dubai floods during the storm that struck the country was like “living at the end of the world,” as he watched from his balcony overlooking the usually calm harbor, and saw furniture falling from the balconies due to the Stormy wind. Rolls-Royce cars were abandoned on roads that turned into rivers.

5. The singer Ahlam lost her luxury car, a Rolls Rice, which sank in the Dubai floods, while she in turn published a message of thanks and love to the rescuers in gratitude for their efforts in saving lives and property.

During the Dubai floods, the streets witnessed the drowning of many cars, even SUVs that were scattered through stagnant water on the road to the luxurious Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai. The Dubai floods on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, caused heavy rains to fall on the United Arab Emirates, which led to the flooding of large parts of major highways leaving vehicles abandoned on roads all over Dubai.

Meanwhile, in the UAE's neighboring Oman, a sultanate located on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, at least 19 people have been killed in torrential rains in recent days, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by the country's National Emergency Management Committee, including about 10 students were swept away in a car with an adult.

Reasons for Dubai Floods

But why did experts deny the possibility of “cloud seeding” causing the storm? Here's why experts don't believe cloud seeding played a role in rainfall during the Dubai floods:

The English-language newspaper The National, linked to the state in Abu Dhabi, quoted an anonymous official at the Marine Meteorological Center on Wednesday as saying that no cloud seeding occurred on Tuesday without acknowledging any previous flights, and the center did not respond to questions on Wednesday from the Associated Press.

The UAE, which relies heavily on desalination plants due to its scarcity of groundwater, partly pollinates clouds to augment its dwindling and limited groundwater.

Given the size of the storm, any effort to speculate on the causes of the storm would simply be futile, but as one expert says, “nature is doing the job well,” and it is 100 percent natural work.

Meteorologist Jeff Masters said the floods in Dubai were caused by an unusually strong low-pressure system that led to several rounds of heavy thunderstorms.

“We don't need a cloud seeding effect to explain the record deluge in Dubai,” Masters said.

Another expert, Stephen Sims from Monash University in Australia, agrees with this opinion, which denies that cloud seeding operations by aircraft caused the Dubai floods.

Scientists also say that climate change in general is responsible for severe storms, droughts, floods, and wildfires around the world.

It is worth noting that Dubai hosted the UN COP 28 climate talks just last year, and rising temperatures and other effects of global warming have long been seen as a threat to life in a region already suffering from containment.

Events of a Stormy Monday

The rains began late Monday, soaking Dubai's sands and roads with about 20 millimeters (0.79 inches) of rainwater, according to meteorological data collected at Dubai International Airport. The storms intensified around 9 a.m. on Tuesday and continued throughout the day, which led to more rain and hail falling on the densely populated city.

By the end of Tuesday, more than 142 mm (5.59 inches) of rain had soaked Dubai over 24 hours, while the average year sees 94.7 mm (3.73 inches) of rain at Dubai International Airport.

Standing water flowed on the runways as planes landed, passenger arrivals were halted on the evening of Dubai's floods, and passengers struggled to reach stations through water-covered roads.

A couple who spoke to the Associated Press described the situation at the airport following the Dubai floods as “very difficult,” saying:

“You can't get a taxi, people are sleeping at the metro station, people are sleeping at the airport.”

Dubai International Airport acknowledged on Wednesday morning that the floods had left “limited transportation options” and affected flights as air crews were unable to reach the airport.

The map of the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council contains the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. Therefore, Dubai is considered an emirate within the United Arab Emirates, which is one of the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Flight Service Interruption during Dubai Floods

Emirates Airlines and Flydubai, the long-established low-cost airline, have seen major disruptions.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of the airport, acknowledged the continuing problems related to flooding on Wednesday morning, saying that every place where a plane could safely stand had been flooded by the Dubai floods, and therefore some planes were diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai World Central, the second airport in the emirate.

"It's still an incredibly difficult time. In living memory, I don't think anyone has ever seen conditions like this before. We're in uncharted territory," Griffiths told state-owned talk radio station Dubai Eye.

After the end of the Dubai floods, Paul Griffiths, CEO of the airport, said on the social platform, “Recovery will take some time.”

The Egyptian national airline - EgyptAir - also temporarily suspended its flights between Cairo and Dubai due to bad weather conditions.

Dubai Floods Permanently Disrupt the Country

First, schools across the UAE closed before the storm, and most government employees were working remotely if they could.

Many workers also remained at home, although some ventured out, unfortunately stopping far from their cars in areas covered in deeper-than-expected water on some roads. This included parts of Sheikh Zayed Road, a 12-lane highway through the center of the city of Dubai.

The authorities sent tanker trucks to the streets and highways to pump out the water, especially since the water flowed into some homes, forcing people to also work by pumping water outside their homes.

The country's rulers have not provided any information on the country's overall damage or casualties due to the Dubai floods until today, and in Ras Al Khaimah, the country's northernmost emirate, police said a 70-year-old man died when his car was swept away by Dubai floodwaters.

Officials said that the Al Ain region in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi saw 254 millimeters (10 inches) of rain on Tuesday, one of the highest amounts of precipitation in the country.

Authorities canceled schools and the government began working remotely again on Wednesday, Dubai later closed schools for the rest of the week.

Rain is unusual in the UAE, an arid country on the Arabian Peninsula, but it occurs periodically during the cold winter months.

Many roads and other areas lack drainage due to irregular rainfall, causing flooding.

How Do You Behave during Floods?

1. Immediate departure to higher places if the authorities issue a flood warning.
2. Quickly move away from electricity sources and do not touch them if they get wet.
3. Do not walk in liquid water with a thickness of more than 15 cm for fear of tripping and falling.
4. Refrain from driving cars during floods, and if you are inside them, you must evacuate and go to the highest possible point.

What Should You Do After a Disaster?

If you have been exposed to a natural disaster (such as a hurricane, earthquake, or flood), it is very important to know how to deal with the impact these events can have.

Natural disasters have the potential to produce high levels of stress, anxiety, and anger in those affected, so they are considered traumatic events and can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in survivors.

Unlike other traumatic events, natural disasters can result in massive property destruction and financial losses, which also contribute to increased levels of stress and disrupt post-disaster coping efforts. Or, for example, a hurricane or earthquake can devastate and disperse an entire community, thwarting attempts to communicate with people with social support.

Ways to Confront the Negative Effects of the Disaster

Although the effects of natural disasters can be severe and far-reaching, there are steps you can take to deal with them. Here are some actions by which you may be able to reduce the impact of the shock of a natural disaster:

• Seek and connect with social support. Research has consistently found that early intervention, resources, and support from others can be a key factor in helping people overcome the negative effects of a traumatic event.
• Given that a natural disaster can affect an entire community, your support system around you may be weakened by the busyness of others. However, even connecting with one person can make a difference.
• Find local support groups or crisis counselors available to talk to. After a natural disaster, crisis counselors may be brought in to provide support and help you come up with ways to deal with the impact of natural disasters. Take advantage of these opportunities.
• Try to set a schedule. For example, set regular times to eat meals, wake up in the morning, or talk to family and friends, because a natural disaster can dramatically disrupt your regular schedule, increasing how chaotic and out of control you feel. Setting a schedule can help. A structured daily schedule creates a sense of predictability and control.

• Talk about the impact of a natural disaster. Share your feelings with others, or at least, find some way to express your feelings. A natural disaster can lead to strong feelings of anger, anxiety, and sadness. These feelings need to be expressed. If you hold them in, they can become more painful.
• Focus on self-care. A natural disaster can drain you physically and emotionally. You must make time to take care of yourself because self-care is an integral part of emotional and physical health, and taking care of your body, mind, and spirit can increase your ability to deal with trauma, so make sure to eat well, getting enough sleep, and exercising, practicing mindfulness has also been shown to help survivors cope with PTSD.
• Practice healthy coping strategies after a natural disaster, because you will experience many intense negative emotions.

Therefore, it is very important to identify healthy ways to deal with these feelings. Using alcohol or substances, excessive sleeping, and seeking comfort in food can be effective short-term strategies for dealing with emotional distress, but in the long term, these behaviors do not address the problem radically and often increase distress.

• Try to limit other sources of stress in your life, and although you may have little control over other sources of stress in your life, try to limit the extent to which you make big decisions or life changes because your most important task after a natural disaster is to rearrange your life and emotions.

So it's important to put yourself in a place where it's easier to do so.

• Find ways to help others, because helping others can provide you with a sense of agency, purpose, control, and empowerment.

Symptoms of PTSD

It is important to realize that it is completely normal to experience PTSD-like symptoms following a traumatic event such as the Dubai floods.

You may experience intrusive thoughts or memories of the traumatic event, feel on edge, or have difficulty sleeping. These symptoms are a normal reaction to being exposed to (and surviving) a very stressful event.

Healthy coping strategies are key to recovering from a natural disaster, bearing in mind that for most people who experience a traumatic event like the Dubai flood, symptoms naturally dissipate over time, but coping healthily increases the likelihood of these symptoms improving.

However, engaging in unhealthy coping strategies (for example, drinking alcohol or other methods) can increase the likelihood that these symptoms will persist and possibly get worse, ultimately leading to a diagnosis of PTSD.

Getting help after a disaster

If you notice that your symptoms are not improving and are beginning to interfere with aspects of your daily life, it may be time to get help when starting treatment, finding a qualified mental health provider can be a daunting and stressful task.

Fortunately, there are websites with free search tools that can help you find therapists in your area trained to treat PTSD.

Even if you don't feel as though your symptoms are interfering with your life, it may be helpful to talk to someone. A qualified, compassionate mental health professional can provide support and resources as you work through the stress of the aftermath of a natural disaster.

A therapist can also help you develop problem-solving skills to help you put your life back together after the event, which takes some of the stress off of you. Additional support and tools may prevent the development of PTSD or deeper psychological effects.

The Dubai floods constituted a profound shock during a prosperous society that lives a stable and distinguished life and must leave long-term effects. However, what consoles the soul is the social spirit that appeared during the painful disaster, which showed wonderful social solidarity and complete cooperation between all parties in the country, which will contribute to healing wounds quickly and recovering from the shock quickly, with God’s help.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Dubai Floods

What is the largest natural disaster in history?

The Shanxi earthquake in China had an area of ​​destruction estimated at 800 km, while the number of victims reached 830,000 people.

Are there man-made disasters?

Yes, the biggest of these disasters are the great wars, climate change, the slowdown of the global economy, and the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Written By: Hasan Babi

Sources:

cnbc

bbc