Tova Dvorin
While
snow pummeled the Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and Northern areas of
Israel over the weekend, the Tel Aviv area and the Western side of
Israel faced torrential rains and flooding Saturday.
Total damages have been estimated to be over 300 million shekel thus far, according to Channel 2.
The floods have also proved deadly. Saturday evening, the bodies
of two men were found in the Tze'elim Stream, near Arad. The stream had
been flooded in the storm and had drowned the two men, who had been in
the midst of a hike, medics stated.
Rain also hit Hamas-controlled Gaza particularly hard, causing
hundreds of residents to be evacuated by boat, according to AFP. Some
news agencies have estimated the water evacuations to have reached at
least 5000 by Sunday morning. A Gazan told Israel Radio "Gaza has
sunken."
The dangerous flooding follows a decision by Hamas to shut down a local power station
rather than pay taxes on fuel to Fatah, a shutdown which caused at
least one pump station to flood and three others to approach an
overflow.
Despite dealing with its own storm emergencies, Israel is transferring fuel, pumping equipment and other supplies into the region in the aftermath of the storm later Sunday.
Meanwhile, snow begins to subside in Jerusalem and across the
country. At least 13,000 people are estimated to still be without power
as of Sunday morning.
Floating through Gaza Flash90
Man stands in heavily damaged kitchen, Tel Aviv Flash90
Ravaged living room, Tel Aviv Flash90
Water running through the streets, Tel Aviv Flash90
Severe flooding, Tel Aviv Flash90
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