Khor Fakkan: After a flash flood left up to 60 families homeless on Friday, the municipal council has called for the building of concrete barriers in the Mudaifi area.

The municipal council has sent the proposal to erect concrete barriers to higher authorities.

The proposal is being evaluated and, if approved by the authorities, construction of flood barriers will begin immediately, Abdullah Mohammad Salem Al Naqbi, acting director of Khor Fakkan Municipal council, told Gulf News.

Officials said residents of Mudaifi saw flood waters enter their homes during the weekend rains. Many homes reportedly suffered significant damage.

Mudaifi is located in a mountainous area in Khor Fakkan. There are some 45 to 60 houses, all owned by residents, located in the city.

The unprecedented rain and hail storms that struck the area resulted in government bodies in the emirate of Sharjah joining together to rescue residents trapped by the flood waters, and generally work together to lessen the impact of the flooding.

Al Naqbi reports that those residents with flooded homes were being temporarily housed in hotel apartments in Khor Fakkan and Fujairah prior to the start of clean-up operations. On Saturday, municipal workers and equipment were seeking to clear and reopen surrounding roads, as well as remove mud and water from area houses.

Al Naqbi pointed out that most of the roads in Khor Fakkan and the Mudaifi area were flooded, although no accidents were reported due to the extreme weather.

Officials said falling rocks and stones blocked traffic on roads in the city. The rain also caused massive traffic jams, particularly on key roads and roundabouts where rainwater accumulated.

Compensation

Police have since cordoned off flooded areas as civil defence teams, along with municipal workers, work to drain standing water and remove fallen trees.

Further, all government bodies from Khor Fakkan, Kalba and Dibba Al Hisn were involved in rescue operations in Mudaifi city, Al Naqbi said.

“I can’t estimate the exact number of affected families, but we formed committees to work out and estimate the accurate number of affected families and damage in order to compensate them”, Al Naqbi said.

“Compensation is to include financial help, demolition and renovation of the affected houses,” added Al Naqbi.

“The huge quantity of rain was unexpected to us, as well as to the residents, themselves. They have lived in the area for more than five years and are familiar with rain and floods, but the last incident exceeded our expectations and our capacity,” said Al Naqbi.

“Today, we received calls from many departments offering help, including from the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Civil Defence.”

“In a couple of days, all residents will be able to return to their houses,” Al Naqbi said.

Fawzia Rashid Al Qadi, director of Khor Fakkan Municipality, told Gulf News that the department has formed committees to deal with the flooding and damage in different areas of the city.

She said all government forces were working around the clock to reduce the damage from the floods and to ensure the safety of the residents of Khor Fakkan city and throughout Mudaifi.