The Directorate of Emergencies and Disaster Management in Raqqa announced that Civil Defense teams carried out over 110 field responses in the cities of Raqqa and Tabqa, receiving more than 200 reports within one hour, amid ongoing efforts to remove the effects of flash floods, drain rainwater, and respond to reports from those affected.
Director Rami Al-Saloum stated in an interview with SANA on Thursday that the rainstorm caused floods, submerged homes, and displaced families from damaged camps due to deteriorating infrastructure and the inability of sewage networks to handle the volume of rainfall.
Widespread damage and displacement of hundreds of families
Al-Saloum noted that Civil Defense teams carried out rescue operations, water pumping, and opening of roads and drainage channels, in addition to recovering stuck vehicles and dealing with traffic accidents and fires, while supporting damaged schools and government offices.
He explained that the flash floods submerged approximately 110 homes and displaced about 375 families from damaged camps in the Raqqa countryside, including Al-Maqas, Al-Yunani, and Sahlat Al-Banat camps. The floods also caused the collapse of the Al-Salmani bridge on the Raqqa-Halab road and damaged the Kasrat Suror and Al-Qantara bridges. Access to the city of Maadan was cut off due to road blockages, and he noted the rescue of three women and four children trapped by the water.
Al-Saloum called on residents to adhere to instructions from relevant authorities and avoid rumors and unverified information to ensure their safety.
Medical and service mobilization to face repercussions
For his part, Dr. Abdul Qader Al-Quli, director of Tabqa National Hospital, confirmed the raising of readiness levels among medical and ambulance staff and the recall of specialist doctors to handle potential injuries. He noted that limited resources might necessitate transferring critical cases to the National Hospital in Raqqa.
Al-Quli pointed out that the hospital received two women swept away by the floods, who received necessary care and were discharged in good health, while the body of a deceased man was transferred to the forensic medicine department in Halab.
In his turn, Awad Al-Awad, head of the implementation department in Tabqa Municipality, confirmed the mobilization of municipal staff and machinery since the start of the storm to address water accumulations and open roads, despite limited available resources.
Bridge damage and ongoing remediation work
In Al-Sabkha, Municipality Council head Obaida Al-Khader explained that the council mobilized all its resources since the beginning of the storm to secure main roads and ensure citizen safety, in cooperation with service and technical authorities in the governorate.
Al-Khader noted that heavy rainfall caused the Kasrat Suror and Al-Ajil bridges to go out of service, in addition to the damage of three bridges on the Dalh Al-Fawqani (Al-Madiq) road, which required urgent intervention to repair damage and ensure traffic flow.
He confirmed that work continues to remove the effects of flash floods and secure damaged bridges as much as possible, followed by rehabilitation works to improve infrastructure and enhance its capacity to face disasters in the future.
Thunderstorm rains accompanied by hail and strong downdraft winds were witnessed in the governorates of Raqqa, Al-Hasakah, and Deir Ezzor, as well as areas in eastern Homs, Hama, and Halab, leading to floods, flash floods, flowing wadis, and the cutting of several roads.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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