Rain once again exposes Jeddah’s faulty drainage network

By Ibrahim Alawi JEDDAH — The light to moderate rain in Jeddah early Friday morning once again exposed the city’s faulty drainage network. “Moderate rain, which did not last for more than three hours, clogged major streets in Jeddah for the whole day. What would have happened if the rains were heavy and continued for a longer period?” questioned a resident in a tweet. Another resident wrote: “What would the municipality do if there was a repetition of the 2009 rains and floods?” Residents said the municipality, which kept silent for more than 12 hours after the rains, came out to praise its work to flush out water. “Many vital roads were reopened for traffic a few hours after the rain,” said Mayor Hani Abu Ras on his Twitter account at 8 p.m. Residents, however, could not believe this and continued to report water loggings until late Friday evening. Khaled Al-Shahrani, a Jeddah resident, was surprised by the municipality’s extensive media publicity about its achievements. “The municipality is unable to solve the problem which is repeated every year while it is always boasting about its achievements,” he said. Residents, however, appreciated the traffic police and the Civil Defense. The traffic department was quick to close down six tunnels and retrieve a number of submerged vehicles. The Civil Defense rescued about 48 people who were marooned at their housing camp in Al-Nakheel district.