Long journeys, karak, counting losses: Heavy rains in the UAE bring joy and damage – News

While some UAE residents took long trips and enjoyed strong KarakOthers were left cleaning up the mess and counting their losses after torrential rains hit the United Arab Emirates on Saturday.

Heavy rain, thunder and lightning hit several parts of the country, leaving many areas submerged.

For the adventure-loving couple, Hafsa and Saeed, it was the perfect occasion to explore the city. “At first we were a little hesitant, but then we were on our way,” Hafsa said.

Their journey took them to the side of the mountain where they stopped to walk. “We were exploring when we saw some police officers quite a distance away,” he said. “We thought of saying hello when we realized it was the Omani police patrolling the border. That’s when we realized we had reached the border of Oman.”

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It was midnight when they got home. “It was a long trip but it was worth it,” she said. “We were able to really enjoy the beauty of the United Arab Emirates.”

Kindness everywhere

For Canadian tourist Uzma, it was meant to be a sunny holiday in Dubai. “I came for the sun, but instead I got a storm,” he chuckled. Visiting Dubai for the first time, Uzma and her mother were on a girls’ trip. Saturday was meant to be a day of desert safari for the duo. When they heard about the rain, they called it off and decided to walk around the neighborhood. What they discovered was the friendliness of Dubai’s residents.

“We walked from our hotel in Barsha to the nearest Lulu,” Uzma said. “On the way back we were carrying a lot of packages and the roads were very wet and slippery. We noticed that some good Samaritans had placed cloth hangars and sandbags to facilitate the passage of people. “I was worried about my mother, but a passerby stopped to help her cross the street safely.”

When they stopped at the Mall of the Emirates for dinner, a restaurant manager offered to make them tea. “I asked the manager where I could buy karak in the mall because my mother really wanted it,” Uzma said. “And he offered to make it the way she liked, even though they don’t serve tea. He moved me to see how strangers in the city were willing to help each other. “It was really a beautiful experience.”

Of loss and damage

But not everything was rosy for everyone in the emirate. Some residents suffered heavy leaks in their homes, while others suffered losses and damage to their stores.

Suresh, a store manager in Deira, shared that the storefront had suffered some damage. “Due to the water, our shutter failed and opened with a lot of force,” he said. “This caused our glass window to break. Due to the storm warning, we had taken protective measures to protect everything in our exhibit. So, luckily, everything was safe.”

Falconcity of Wonders resident Soobi Shine spent time cleaning up her backyard after the rain. “My whole yard flooded and there was water everywhere,” she said. “The rain fell incessantly. It took me a while to clean up the mess.”

However, Soobi is grateful that the water did not enter his house. “Due to several previous rains, we learned our lesson,” she said. “We have a waterproof coating on our roofs and unclogged our drains during the last rain. That’s why now we quietly enjoy the rain.”

Many residents were surprised at how quickly authorities cleaned the streets. “On Saturday afternoon I couldn’t drive on the roads around my house,” said Dubai resident Rahul. “In fact, I even saw a car stuck in the water. By around 8pm, all roads were clean and dry. “I was very surprised.”

More than 2,300 staff from various entities, including Dubai Municipality, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai Police, Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment and Nakheel, were deployed to respond to emergencies and mitigate the impact of heavy rain on Saturday.