When the low-pressure weather system ‘Azm’ battered the UAE with copious amounts of rain last week, for many it was the time to draw on their experience of the April 2024 floods. While some were out for days volunteering to help those who needed it, others took precautions to ensure that their residential communities remained safe.
Deepu AS has been an active volunteer for several years. On April 16, 2024, when the UAE received record-breaking rainfall, he was one of the first along with his team to go to water-logged areas to help those who were stuck. On the day, he created a Whatsapp group for people to exchange information about which roads were open and what areas to avoid. Last week, messages poured into that group much like in April 2024 — but with one difference. This time, more people were offering help than needing it.
“A lot of people were fully prepared,” he said. “Those in low lying areas ensured that their cars were parked on high grounds. People stayed home from work and avoided going out unnecessarily. They knew what to expect.”
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The inclement weather which impacted the UAE from Sunday to Friday last week saw some parts of the country receiving over 226mm of rain in one day. Authorities swung into action, with Dubai Municipality deploying around 3,500 personnel and more than 1,210 machines and vehicles in one of the most logistically complex operations in the entity’s history. Beaches were reopened within six hours of the storm passing, while public parks were back in operation within 24 hours. Recovery teams removed more than 159 fallen trees, cleared 1,130 cubic metres of standing water, and disposed of 12,250 kilograms of waste.
Voluntary work
Dubai Police’s community volunteers conducted field visits to affected areas and interacted with residents to provide guidance on essential safety precautions, with special focus on educating children to avoid stagnant rainwater due to contamination risks and ensuring their safety while moving through affected areas
These volunteers also reported fallen trees, streetlights, and traffic signs, ensuring their removal in coordination with the relevant authorities. They also monitored water accumulation in front of residents’ homes, assisted in relocating vehicles stranded in water, collecting lost number plates from neighborhoods and helping ensure smooth emergency traffic flow and safe movement of residents and vehicles.
Brother and sister duo Shabana and Parvaiz Hassan were out and about in front of their house at Jamal Abdul Nasser street in Sharjah to distribute care packages to motorists stranded there. “There were a lot of people whose cars stalled in front of our house,” she said. “My brother and I gave some food and water to those who were stuck there. We have a lot of experience from April 2024 when we coordinated food distribution around Sharjah, Dubai and Kalba. So we knew what was needed and how to get to those who were genuinely in need. We also sourced PPE kits and a kayak to go distribute in some areas.”
Communities
Apart from volunteers, several comunities also stepped up their efforts to ensure their reslience during the rainy season. Some parts of the Mudon community was affected during the April 2024 floods so the residential community worked in tandem with the authorities and their facilities management company.
Fadi Haddad, Chairman of the Owners Community, described the difference as “night and day.” In the lead-up to the rains, community management company installed additional pumps with larger capacity, deployed more ground staff, and ensured teams worked around the clock to monitor and clear water. “Our community management team did a good job,” he said. “We managed to protect homes from flooding.”
He also noted that residents came together to support one another, with neighbours checking in on each other and acting as “the eyes and ears on the ground” throughout the week.
UAE resident Gavril reported little to no impact this year, with only minor water accumulation that cleared within an hour. He noted how the community team was ready even before the rains began. “Storm drains were cleaned and opened, and pumps were ready everywhere,” he said. “I’ve seen first-hand maintenance teams directing water collected on streets to open drains. We’re now a lot more confident that anything and everything can be handled.”
Source: Khaleej Times