Storm Update: Record 117 mm Downpour Floods Israel's Sharon Region; Residents Told to Stay Home
Firefighters answered 11 rescue calls Saturday night, including two elderly people pulled from a car under water, as the storm that hit Israel's coast on Saturday dropped a record rainfall on Kadima-Zoran.
See where this is ›KADIMA-ZORAN, Israel —
A record 117 millimeters of rain, about 4.6 inches, fell in an hour and a quarter on the Kadima-Zoran area of Israel's Sharon region Saturday night, Nov. 7, flooding streets and leading local officials to tell residents to stay home, the Jerusalem Post reported.
The figure, recorded at the Kadima weather station according to Israel Meteorological Service data, is a record for the Sharon area. It came on the same stormy day that dropped about 2 inches of rain in one hour on Binyamina and flooded tents in Gaza.
Kadima-Zoran Local Council Head Keren Green said, “We are dealing with exceptionally anomalous amounts of rain within a short time frame.” Council crews worked with police, Fire and Rescue Services, the Mayannot HaSharon water company, the Drainage Authority and the council's volunteer team to clear blockages and pump out water. Residents were asked to report hazards to the municipal 106 hotline.
Firefighters from the Central District answered 11 rescue calls. In the most serious one, two elderly adults were pulled from a car that was under water at the Dror Interchange and were treated at the scene. Route 4 flooded near the Drorim Junction on the northbound side toward Kadima-Zoran.
Reshef Shalom Davidovich, a shift commander at the Ayalon fire station, urged the public “under no circumstances, to enter flooded areas; this is an unnecessary risk to life.”
The Health Ministry warned people not to swim at Mediterranean beaches until further notice because runoff is flowing into the sea, where waves of 120 to 180 centimeters were forecast. Forecasters said the rain would taper off Sunday afternoon, with clear to partly cloudy skies Monday and Tuesday and temperatures a little below normal for the season.
