12 rescued from cars as first major rains of season cause floods, fire
Lightning strikes tree, apparently igniting nearby electric lines, as part of Tel Aviv light rail shuts down; Hamas urges displaced Gazans to dig drainage channels between tents
Eight people were rescued from their cars in Ashkelon amid floods that followed the first heavy rainfall of the season across the country Friday morning, the Fire and Rescue Service said.
Footage from the southern city, where authorities reported at least 70 millimeters of rain, showed cars floating in the floodwater.
Further north, near Adanim Junction on Route 40, four passengers — three adults and a 3-year-old — were rescued from the roof of their car after it sunk some 1.5 meters (5 feet). Emergency services arrived with a ladder to retrieve them.
In Tel Aviv, the balcony of an apartment building collapsed as a result of the storm, and a traffic light that crashed onto the street almost injured a group of young people, according to Channel 12.
The light rail in Tel Aviv temporarily ran on a limited service due to power outages as a result of the storm.
Footage from the central town of Rosh Ha’ayin caught lightning striking a palm tree, which in turn set off a series of explosions in the area, as the tree was apparently near an electrical line.
The inclement weather also caused some delays at Ben Gurion Airport, with some 15 landings backed up, according to Ynet.
The Israel Meteorological Society warned of possible flash floods around streams in the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea.
Floods were also possible in normally dry river channels in the south, and the public was warned to stay away, IMS said. It added that the stormy weather will persist throughout the day and into Saturday, when it is expected to ease up.
The wintry burst also saw the Hermon mountaintop coated in snow for the first time this season.
In Gaza, Hamas’s Civil Defense Agency called on Palestinians displaced by the war with Israel to dig channels between their tents so that the rain drains, and to make sure the tents are firmly secured to guard against strong winds.
The agency also warned against entering heavily bombed structures due to the fear that they could collapse as a result of the heavy rain.
The stormy weather follows sweltering temperatures recorded in the first ten days of November, which saw some areas of Israel reach their hottest levels on record.