The UAE's recent devastating rainfall and subsequent flooding have prompted the establishment of a ministerial committee to evaluate the extent of destruction and allocate compensatory funds. To assist citizens in repairing their homes, the UAE has earmarked Dh2 billion for this purpose.
Describing last week's rainfall as "unprecedented," Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, underscored the gravity of the situation during a Cabinet meeting in Abu Dhabi. Control centers received an overwhelming 200,000 distress calls from residents, indicating the widespread damage inflicted upon residential properties.
The deluge on April 16 inundated the country with a year's worth of rainfall in just one day, tallying 6.04 billion cubic meters of rainwater, a substantial portion of the annual 6.7 billion cubic meters. Despite the severity of the weather event, Sheikh Mohammed emphasized the nation's resilience and its capacity for growth through learning from such experiences.
Over 17,000 personnel from security and emergency services, along with numerous volunteers, mobilized to respond to the crisis and aid in the rescue of individuals stranded by the floods. Sheikh Mohammed lauded the positive outcomes of the unprecedented rainfall, noting that reservoirs were replenished, watercourses flowed, and groundwater reserves were replenished. These events served as lessons for enhancing preparedness for future extreme weather events.
President Sheikh Mohamed emphasized the government's paramount commitment to the safety and security of both citizens and residents. He instructed authorities to evaluate the resilience of the country's infrastructure and implement measures to mitigate future flood-related damages.
Tragically, the floods claimed the lives of at least four individuals. Among them was an Emirati whose vehicle was swept away in a valley, while two Filipinos perished from suffocation inside their vehicle during the deluge. Another individual lost their life in an accident related to the extreme weather conditions.
