Lorestan Faces Renewed Flood Threat; Crisis Management Staff on Alert
Since the beginning of Esfand, over 100 millimeters of rain has fallen in Lorestan. Kuhdasht, Poldokhtar, Khorramabad and Borujerd face danger while repairs from the Nowruz flood have not yet been completed. Residents living along river banks have been asked to move to safe areas.
With 130 permanent and seasonal rivers, Lorestan is one of five flood-prone provinces in Iran. Most villages and cities in the province are located along water-rich river beds. These cities face destruction of homes and infrastructure, including roads and bridges, with each flood.
In the early days of Esfand, over 100 millimeters of rain fell in Lorestan; a level equivalent, according to the province’s meteorological department, to rainfall amounts in Farvardin 1398. The department warned of possible flooding, rising river water levels, landslides and road slipperiness, and predicted that flood-causing rains in the coming days will be accompanied by thunderstorms with winds of 70 to 90 kilometers per hour.
The Lorestan Crisis Management Headquarters announced a state of alert and asked families living along riverbanks to relocate their livestock, household goods, documents, movable property and vehicles, and seek refuge in safe areas as quickly as possible.
Kuhdasht, Poldokhtar, Dorood, Aligoodarz and Khorramabad are among the cities identified as flood-prone. The mayor of Khorramabad announced that 70 villages in the city are at risk of flooding and landslides. The old Khorramabad-Poldokhtar road was also closed from Monday, the 5th of Esfand, until further notice.
The deputy director of the Housing Foundation of Lorestan also reported the presence of 153,000 non-resistant residential units in the province and warned of possible hazards. It was announced that in case of flooding, people can use halls and sports facilities for accommodation. Sports halls in Poldokhtar, which were severely damaged in the previous flood, are excluded from such facilities.
The mayor of Poldokhtar told ISNA news agency: “Emergency accommodation, food and other necessary items have been provided, and necessary measures have been taken regarding drinking water and fuel.”
The Nowruz 1398 flood in Lorestan, Khuzestan and Golestan caused between 30 to 35 trillion tomans in damage and took the lives of at least 62 people.
The threat of flooding and destruction looms over Lorestan’s people while unofficial reports speak of a coronavirus outbreak and the hospitalization of several infected patients in provincial hospitals. The governor of Lorestan says there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus infection, but people should be careful and pay attention to health warnings. However, IRNA news agency, in a field report, has reported a lack of masks and disinfectants in Khorramabad pharmacies and the complete absence of medical equipment and facilities in the province.
Source: DW
