Ness Ziona is preparing to prevent the return of the harsh images from the weekend, but warns: "There is no municipal drainage system that can handle such a scenario" • And also: the forecast
The rainstorm that is expected to enter our area tonight (Wednesday), puts local authorities across the country, and especially in the lowlands and coastal plain, on high alert.
Following the harsh images of the floods in Ness Ziona and other cities, the authorities are preparing with a variety of measures, from the creation of new drainage canals and the operation of pumps and sewers, to the reinforcement of crews in the field and the rapid closure of deputies.
Photo: MDA Spokeswoman
During the day the temperatures dropped considerably, and in the afternoon it began to rain intermittently in the north and center of the country.
At night the rains will intensify and spread as far as the northern Negev, occasionally accompanied by thunderstorms and hail.
In some of the forecast models, there is a scenario for a large amount of rain in a short time, up to about 100 mm in 24 hours. For comparison, in the southern coastal plain the average rainfall for the whole of November is about 80 mm, and the fear of flooding in the coastal plain Real.
• For regular updates on the forecast - visit the Israel Today weather channel >>
Tomorrow will continue to be stormy: along with strong winds and considerable cooling, rains are expected from the north of the country to the northern Negev, accompanied by single thunderstorms.
Tomorrow, too, there is a fear of flooding in the city centers and floods in the eastern and Negev streams.
Ness Ziona enters emergency procedure
The rains of the past weekend caused huge floods in Ness Ziona, and the municipality is preparing so that the difficult images will not return.
As you may recall last weekend 83 mm of rain fell within a few hours in the city, causing flooding.
Mayor Shmuel Boxer says the city has learned from past experience.
"We started with an immediate excavation of temporary residence basins for the absorption of rainwater in the Ness 130 area (Home Front Command neighborhood), which will allow the collection of some of the water coming from the neighboring cities," says Boxer.
"We opened and cleaned all the receptors in the city, the bulge that was broken in the last rain event on Jerusalem Street was repaired."
The municipality will activate an emergency procedure which will put on alert the municipal employees relevant and comprehensive reinforcement of drives on the ground, reinforcing a response call center 106, the opening of an operations room perpetrators of hand white, and establishing a center for evacuation and absorption municipal stadium.
"We did all we could to preparations for another rain, but unfortunately a case of A natural disaster that includes an extreme rain show within a period of time - there is no urban drainage system that can cope.
We will continue to work to rehabilitate the city's infrastructure and build long-term solutions for rainwater drainage in the city, "concludes Boxer.
Ashdod: Increased Knesset and manhood on alert
The Municipality of Ashdod, the fifth largest city in Israel with 622 streets and 11,040 receptors spread throughout the city, is preparing for extreme weather.
The municipality has established a "storm procedure" that includes all bodies and municipal units.
Work teams will patrol the districts, and will be joined by reinforcement teams that will scan the sensitive areas and provide an immediate response to developments in the field, such as proactive axis blocking.
The municipality is preparing with receptors, manholes for immediate operation, pumps for pumping water from low places and blockages of hinges.
A special Chamal in the municipality will coordinate the information from the field, and tow trucks will be on standby to rescue vehicles.
Record alert in Ashkelon
At a meeting held this morning (Wednesday) on the subject, Ashkelon Mayor Tomer Glam instructed to enter a state of alert for the stormy weather, which could cause flooding in the city - due to the load that will be created on the municipal drainage system.
Glam: "Our main goal is to save lives so we are focusing all our efforts on preparing for extreme scenarios along with the alertness of city employees who will be on the ground throughout the evening and night, and will respond to any incident."
In Ashkelon, drives will be installed on flood-prone roads starting in the early evening, so that they will be prepared to block the arteries if necessary.
There will also be evacuation of "hot" focused parked vehicles and underground parking lots.
Information leaflets on the subject have already been distributed to residents.
The Galilee: pruning trees and releasing drainage
The Galilee Landscape Municipality announced that prior to the storm, "we conducted a tree pruning operation near residences and power poles. Also, the welfare department distributed blankets and heaters to the elderly."
The Safed municipality said that the city's district administrators scanned the drainage ditches to check that they were not blocked, and to prevent flooding ahead of time.
The Jerusalem Municipality monitors weather updates.
"Preparations are underway in the capital to respond to any exceptional incident," the municipality said, "through municipal alert teams, who are ready to act as needed. The Jerusalem Municipality continues its ongoing activities to clean drainage openings in public areas, pruning work and activities among populations in need of assistance."
The Sea of Galilee: A fishing competition in the rain
At the Israfish Association, they are not impressed by the forecast for stormy weather, and intend to open the 20-21 competition season today, for carp fishing by carp, on the Dugit beach of the Kinneret Cities Association.
The competition will run until next Friday.
Israfish chairman Andrei Meislin says that the fishing groups participating in the competition were instructed to tie all the equipment well so that it would not fly in the wind. In the event of a lightning storm, they will be instructed to remove the fishing rods immediately, if not possible, leave them and not touch them. "In the event of a lightning storm, fishermen must stay away from trees and pillars on the beach, stay inside the tent and wait for the storm to pass." Even if there is a storm, fishermen must not leave their place on the beach - otherwise they will be disqualified, "Meislin warned.
Participating in the preparation of the article: Shlomi Diaz, Yuri Yalon, Gadi Golan and Adi Hashmonai