At one point, there were over 200 people stranded in and around a petrol station
Emergency workers on Thursday rescued people in boats and carried children on shoulders as torrential rain lashed UAE and flooded homes, submerged streets, and swept vehicles away.
Torrential rains unleashed in Sharjah, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah in what the weather department described as one of the worst floodings in the country's history.
According to the National Centre of Meteorology, the UAE, this summer has recorded its highest amount of rainfall in 27 years.
Residents on Thursday woke up to submerged cars in the parking areas, vehicles trapped in flooded subways. The streets of Fujairaj were inundated and videos by emergency teams show people being pulled out from neck-deep water.
Floods and rains have left behind damages to property and infrastructure.
However, damages caused by rains to homes and vehicles are usually covered by most insurance policies in the UAE depending on the packages.
The scene at the entrance of the Royal M Hotel in Fujairah was not pleasant as the street outside was completely wrecked by flood water.
Vehicles were swept away by the water current which lodged in trees.
After two days of incessant rains, Fujairah’s port station recorded 255.2mm of water, which is the highest in the UAE during the month of July.
UAE residents have been urged to stay away from valleys and dams when alerts for unstable weather are issued by the authorities. Since the beginning of the current weather deluge, the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has issued over 70 alerts, with the first on July 23.
Due to incessant rains and road damage caused by floods, several routes in Sharjah, Fujairah, and RAK have been closed. Motorists have been asked to stay at home or use alternative roads in an emergency.
At one point, there were over 200 people stranded in and around a petrol station
A video shows the treacherous conditions under which rescuers worked
Civil Defence, firefighters reach the spot within 6 minutes
Users can monitor and control the system remotely and receive an early warning on the phone
Authorities are conducting a site cooling operation
Authority airlifts one casualty with assistance from the Ministry of Interior
Two people were fatally run over in separate incidents
Most were for minor accidents, traffic jams or some emergency cases