UAE residents face flooded homes, damaged cars after rain
Parts of the country were battered with rain and strong winds on Wednesday, with some UAE residents posting videos of flooded streets, partially submerged vehicles and branches toppling over in parking areas.
The impact of the storm was evident in many neighbourhoods from Al Nuaimiya and Al Khor to Al Rashidiya’s low-lying areas, with water flooding homes, parking zones turning to pools and strong winds damaging windows and balconies.
In Al Rashidiya, where many residents of small villas work as cab drivers, tailors and bakers, water flooded homes that were in low-lying areas. “We knew rain was coming, we were following the news since last week,” said Rafiqul Hussain, a driver who lives in the area.
“On the day before the rain, we started moving things such as mattresses, pillows and our belongings, kept the TV set on a higher shelf and moved important things above the floor,” he said. The downpour of April 2024 was fresh in our memories and we suffered a lot, so this time we didn’t want to take any risk.”
Still, water seeped into homes despite the preparations. “Suddenly, the water started pouring in within minutes. There was a time it seemed like the whole hall would fill,” he said. “It lingered inside for about four to five hours. At first, we were only standing and watching because during the heavy rain there was nothing much to do,”
Once the rain eased after an hour, residents emerged and worked together to clear out the water. “Our neighbours, shopkeepers, even children came forward to help us and the residents of those homes which were submerged in water. It took time, but gradually we succeeded,” said Hussain, adding that this was the routine for the past 2 days, only Thursday showers were a bit lighter.
And residents in high-rise buildings had a different kind of trouble to grapple with. “It became a serious situation in no time,” said Zeba Khan, who lives in City tower. “The wind was extremely strong. Items left in the balcony began to move and hit the walls. For a second, I was scared that they would get hurt,” Khan said.
She added that the damage happened fast. “My balcony door just slammed and cracked, and then at the same time the kitchen window also crashed.” Water began to seep in from the two sides. “We had to hurry and close everything up and keep towels around.”
Shaver Ali, a businessman who lives in Al Khor tower, said water got into his apartment when a window broke. “I went to my office early in the morning and returned home at 12. We have the old kind of windows and I forgot to close it,” Ali said.
Around 1.30 pm when Ali was eating his lunch, he heard a loud crackling sound and it turned out to be the bedroom window. “The wind pressure fractured the window glass and water started to come inside. We were trying to contain it, but at that time it was hard.”
He said the situation improved after it stopped raining. “We immediately started the cleaning process after the rain abated. We had mops and towels, cleared it all out.”
Residents also said they encountered complications related to parked cars, especially those that were left out in the open during the storm. Ramee Al Numan, a restaurant manager who resides in Al Khor, said he had parked his car a few lanes away at work because there was no parking available in his compound and returned to find tree branches lying on top of it. “When I parked, I didn’t think much about the trees around me. When I returned, there were branches covering my car. Fortunately, there are no damages,” he said.
But a fallen date palm behind the vehicle has prevented it from leaving. “I can’t even move the car right now because a big tree has fallen behind it. Only after that is cleared can I pull it out. I’m just hoping it doesn’t rain again, because if it does it could be damaging,” Ramee said.
The authorities said they were actively responding to the situation. Ajman Police also reassured the public of its preparedness to address weather conditions around the clock and that residents may obtain vehicle damage certificates through its smart application or report loss of number plates due to rain-related incidents.
Ajman Transport Authority confirmed that they went on to apply their operational plan amid the current weather conditions by a surge of the public transport teams, taxi vehicles, and continuous traffic monitoring in line with its commitment to address users' safety and keep servicing them properly.
Although many residents said they were better prepared this year thanks to experience from last year’s heavy rains, the situation in some low-lying areas and open parking spaces is still difficult as clean-up efforts are not yet complete.
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