Authorities briefly shut roads in south amid flash flood fears
Parts of Routes 90, 40 and 234 closed down for several hours Saturday afternoon as storms dump rain on region
Israeli authorities shut some parts of a major road near the Dead Sea for several hours Saturday over fears of flash floods from nearby streams.
Israeli police shut Route 90 in both directions from Ein Bokek to Ein Gedi early Saturday afternoon, but opened it several hours later.
Route 234 in the western Negev in southern Israel near Kibbutz Tze’elim and a section of Route 40 were also closed for several hours over flooding fears.
Flash flood alerts have periodically been issued for the Dead Sea area over the past month, specifically in riverbeds and other low-lying areas.
The flooding fears came as rainstorms passed over Israel over the weekend, dumping dozens of millimeters of rain across the country. The rainstorms are expected to continue Sunday, before tapering off starting Sunday night.
Police had warned ahead of the weekend rainstorm that other parts of Route 90 may be at risk of collapse due to the flash flooding, and told drivers to exercise extreme caution when driving in the area.
The Nature and Parks Authority has in recent weeks responded to over a dozen incidents in which hikers required rescue due to floods.
In neighboring Jordan, 32 people have been killed in flash floods in recent weeks in the Dead Sea and Petra regions.