2009 Jeddah floods

2009 natural disaster in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia September 2020 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia locator map.png The location of Jeddah within Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Peninsula. 25 November 2009 2009 1000000000 SAR 122Arab News (more than 350 missing) Jeddah and other areas of Makkah Province thumb|right|Tunnel in King Abdullah Street (Jeddah-Saudi Arabia) thumb|right|The city of Jeddah, with King Abdulaziz International Airport to the north. The main highways to Mecca run to the southeast. Map scale: approx. 25 km mi from north to south. thumb|right|An engraving of Jeddah from 1924, showing the Jabal al Hejaz mountains behind the city. yes November 2012 The 2009 Saudi Arabian floods affected Jeddah, on the Red Sea (western) coast of Saudi Arabia, and other areas of Makkah Province.Saudi Arabian floods kill 77, leave scores missing https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iXnnwi-QAtxEShlY_jrXNHDQdIsQ https://web.archive.org/web/20140221091045/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iXnnwi-QAtxEShlY_jrXNHDQdIsQ dead 21 February 2014 Agence France Presse 26 November 2009 26 November 2009Saudi Arabia floods leave 48 dead https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8380501.stm BBC News 26 November 2009 26 November 2009 They have been described by civil defence officials as the worst in 27 years.Ayman Anqawi Flooding kills 77 in Jeddah, Thousands of pilgrims stranded on highway http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009112655554 Saudi Gazette 26 November 2009 26 November 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20091130010910/http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009112655554 30 November 2009 dead As of 3 January 2010, some 122 people had been reported to have been killed, and more than 350 were missing. Some roads were under a meter (three feet) of water on 26 November, and many of the victims were believed to have drowned in their cars. At least 3,000 vehicles were swept away or damaged.King orders aid for victims, Death toll in Jeddah flooding hits 83 http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009112755615 Ibrahim Alawi Eid Al-Harthi Saudi Gazette 27 November 2009 26 November 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20120302075732/http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009112755615 2 March 2012 dead The death toll was expected to rise as flood waters receded, allowing rescuers to reach stranded vehicles.Jeddah flood death toll reaches 77 http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=128861&d=27&m=11&y=2009&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom Muhammad Humaidan Arab News 27 November 2009 27 November 2009 More than 70 millimetres (2.76 inches) of rain fell in Jeddah in just four hours on 25 November.Damage may top SR1 billion http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009112755625 Saleh Al Zahrani Saudi Gazette 26 November 2009 27 November 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20100520000059/http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009112755625 20 May 2010 dead This is nearly twice the average for an entire yearJidda, Saudi Arabia: Average rainfall http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/data.pl?ref=N21E039+2100+4102401G1 World Climate 27 November 2009 and the heaviest rainfall in Saudi Arabia in a decade.Muslim pilgrims climb Mount Arafat as 2m brave heat outside Mecca https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/nov/26/hajj-mecca-muslim-pilgrims The Guardian Ian Black 26 November 2009 The flooding came just two days before the expected date of the Eid al-Adha festival and during the annual Hajj pilgrimage to nearby Mecca.Rain soaks hajj pilgrims in Mecca The Daily Telegraph 25 November 2009 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/saudiarabia/6656795/Rain-soaks-hajj-pilgrims-in-Mecca.html Business losses were estimated at a billion riyals (US$270 million). The poorer neighbourhoods in the south of Jeddah were particularly hard hit,Jeddah, city in a lake http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009112655556 Abdullah Al Bargi Saudi Gazette 26 November 2009 27 November 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20091202065607/http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009112655556 2 December 2009 deadAnxious residents follow weather reports amid clean-up http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009112755626 Faleh Al Dhibyani Saudi Gazette 27 November 2009 27 November 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20120302075945/http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009112755626 2 March 2012 dead as was the area around King Abdulaziz University. The university was closed for vacation at the time of the floods, preventing even higher casualties.What happened was a man-made problem http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=128881&d=27&m=11&y=2009 Michel Cousins Arab News 27 November 2009 27 November 2009 Geography and hydrology of Jeddah The city of Jeddah is situated on the Red Sea coast, beneath the northern escarpment of the Red Sea Rift known as the Jabal al Hejaz, which reaches 600 to 1000 m ft in the region. The population of the city is about 3.4 million (2009 estimate) in an urban area of 1765 km2 sqmi on, giving a population density of 1900 PD/km2 PD/sqmi. The climate is arid, with most rainfall occurring between November and January, usually as thunderstorms.Geographical Location and Climate http://www.jeddah.gov.sa/english/jeddah/weather.php Jeddah Municipality 27 November 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090915003134/http://www.jeddah.gov.sa/English/jeddah/weather.php 15 September 2009 dead +Average monthly rainfall (1951–1983) in Jeddah in millimetres (inches) Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 11.2(0.4) 4.5(0.2) 4.2(0.2) 1.0(0.0) 0.9(0.0) 0.0(0.0) 0.1(0.0) 0.0(0.0) 0.1(0.0) 0.6(0.0) 18.2(0.7) 16.2(0.6) Total: 56.1 mm (2.2 in.). Source: Global Historical Climatology Network, version 1 At least eleven wadis converge on the city, and localised flooding is common after rain. The municipality is currently investing 1 billion riyals (US$270 million) in storm drains, but the cost of a full system is estimated at an additional 3 billion riyals (US$800 million).SR3 billion needed for proper drainage: Official http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009112755617 Abdulaziz Ghazzawi Saudi Gazette 27 November 2009 27 November 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20120302075745/http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009112755617 2 March 2012 dead In November 2009, only some 30% of the city was protected against flash flooding and then, often with only one-inch (25-millimetre) pipes. 2009 Hajj pilgrimage 25 November was the first day of the annual four-day Hajj pilgrimage to Islamic holy sites in and around Mecca, for which Jeddah is the main entry point for foreign pilgrims arriving by air or sea. The number of foreigners, as well as Saudi citizens,Heavy rain and swine flu fears hamper Hajj https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8377818.stm BBC News 25 November 2009 27 November 2009 was slightly lower than in previous years, possibly because of health fears due to the pandemic of H1N1 influenza. However, over 1.6 million are still believed to have made the hajj, with 200,000 coming from Indonesia alone. According to the Saudi Interior Ministry, none of the flood victims were taking part in the pilgrimage. However, the main Haramain expressway between King Abdulaziz International Airport and Mecca was closed on 25 November, stranding thousands of pilgrims. Parts of the 80 km mi on highway were reported to have caved in, and the Jamia bridge in eastern Jeddah partially collapsed. The highway remained closed on 26 November amid fears that the bridge would collapse completely. Rain was unusually heavy in Mecca on 25 November, as well as in nearby Mina, where many pilgrims stay in vast tent cities. The weather had improved by 26 November, and pilgrims had to face "scorching heat" on the plain of Mount Arafat for the second day of the Hajj.Bright weather greets pilgrims on Arafat http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009112755616 Saudi Gazette 27 November 2009 27 November 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20120302080009/http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009112755616 2 March 2012 dead Hassan Al-Bushra, an epidemiologist at the Cairo office of the World Health Organization, said "there is no evidence" that the rain would worsen the spread of the H1N1 flu virus, a view shared by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Hajj rituals continued after the weather improved on 26 November 2009, but the Haramain Expressway was still being cleared on 28 November as authorities removed damaged vehicles ahead of pilgrims’ return journeys.2009-11-25 Heavens open as pilgrims begin Hajj https://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-11-26/heavens-open-as-pilgrims-begin-hajj/1157120 2026-10-14 ABC News en-AU See also 2022 Saudi Arabia floods, also hit Jeddah References 33em External links Jeddah flood video on YouTube Compilation of photos, news articles and videos on the Jeddah Flood 2009 21 30 N 39 11 E title type:city_region:SA Jeddah 2009 Jeddah Category:History of Jeddah Category:2009 disasters in Saudi Arabia Jeddah floods