The recent rains in a number of areas and governorates in the region have exposed poor drainage and confirmed a lack of preparedness for floodwater drainage—which should include the construction of side drains, emergency outlets, and future pipelines, but which have been absent for some time— and the situation has not only remained unchanged but has worsened due to inadequate studies and the failure to utilize financial allocations. «Amlak» has documented the catastrophic losses caused by the flash floods in a number of governorates.

Devastating losses

The losses that recur every rainy season underscore the absence of practical and scientific measures based on modern studies to manage the accumulation of rainwater and flash floods, It is well known that many cities have for years suffered from a failure to implement projects related to rainwater and flash flood management; evidence of this is that 60% of neighborhoods remain untreated, with only 40% having been addressed, Furthermore, there is a failure in the drainage of main and secondary lines, which has turned several neighborhoods into pools and lakes, in addition to the collapse of a number of bridges and the collapse of the facades of several commercial stores, particularly in the central, western, and eastern areas, There are projects that have been proposed with drainage plans but have not been implemented, as is the case in several cities and governorates.

Weak assessment

One of the key factors that has continued to exacerbate the stormwater drainage crisis is the poor quality of assessments prepared by specialized consulting firms contracted by regional municipalities, which is a major cause of this situation.

Meanwhile, the regional municipalities have remained silent and unable to address residents" inquiries, while media centers have limited themselves to the following response: We would like to inform you that your message has been received by the media center of the [Name] Municipality, and we thank you for your communication. If the message contains a press inquiry, it will be addressed, and we will respond to you as soon as possible.

One of the factors exacerbating stormwater drainage problems is the reliance on contractors with poor execution capabilities and the poor timing of implementation, for example, when part of the drainage work is carried out one or two months before the rainy season begins, and when the rains fall, the ground structure collapses, resulting in malfunctions, maintenance issues, and water pooling, in addition to the lack of a scientific solution, and the method used to study these projects is outdated and no longer suitable for the current times.

Amlak Monitors

»Amlak" observed poor drainage in several areas, with the central region sustaining significant damage

due to poor drainage of floodwaters on main and side streets. The problem lies in the fact that the manholes are higher than the asphalt surface, acting like speed bumps, which prevents drainage and causes rainwater to pool there." This led to hundreds of cars becoming stranded and disabled, and the facades of many commercial stores were damaged or destroyed by the strong winds that accompanied the rain.

Casualties and Deaths

Earlier, the General Directorate of Civil Defense announced in a statement that its control and command centers had received more than (26,359) reports regarding the rains and flash floods across the Kingdom over the past two weeks, resulting in 18 deaths, the rescue of 915 people, the recovery of 858 vehicles, and the sheltering and evacuation of 398 people.

The Civil Defense received approximately (26,359) reports in each of the regions of (Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, Al-Baha – Jazan – Asir – Najran – Ha’il) received approximately (26,359) reports, including (6,212) in Riyadh, (13,771) in Makkah, (59) in Madinah,(4,445) in Al-Baha, (757) in Jazan, (982) in Asir, (3) in Najran, (6) in Hail, and (15) in Al-Qassim as a result of the rains that fell in those regions.

The Media Center of the General Directorate of Civil Defense reported that there were 18 fatalities, while the number of people trapped and rescued totaled 915, as follows:

(225) in Riyadh, (381) in Makkah, (38) in Al-Baha, (251) in Asir, (18) in Jazan, and(2) in Najran, noting that most of the rescues took place inside vehicles, with a total of (858) cars evacuated, (398) people rescued, and (61) families sheltered.