Warning about the Possibility of Floods and River Overflows in 18 Locations Across Iran

Many parts of Iran, including the capital, continue to face the risk of flooding. The Tehran Police have issued orders to close business units in the northern parts of the capital. The Saadabad Complex and restaurants in Darband and Darake have also been closed due to the possibility of flooding.

Amin Hossein Naqshine, a meteorology expert, announced on Tuesday, the sixth of Farvardin (March 26), the possibility of river overflows and flooding in 18 locations across Iran. He told IRNA news agency: “Due to heavy rain squalls and severe thunderstorms, flooding is expected in the provinces of Khuzestan, Ilam, Kermanshah, Lorestan, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari, Bushehr, Fars, and Isfahan.”

This meteorology expert emphasized: “Also, today there is a possibility of river overflows and flooding in the western parts of Yazd province, western Kerman, Qom, Semnan, North Khorasan, North Razavi Khorasan, Qazvin, Alborz, and Tehran.”

Heavy rainfall and flooding in recent days have caused casualties and severe damage in various parts of Iran. In Shiraz alone, the center of Fars province, 19 people lost their lives due to flooding and more than 110 were injured.

Amin Hossein Naqshine, stating that “snow and rain showers are also predicted in the Zagros and Alborz heights,” requested holiday travelers to refrain from “stopping at the margins and beds of rivers and flood-prone areas” while paying attention to weather warnings and observing safety regulations.

This meteorology expert added: “Today, the intensity of rainfall is concentrated on the slopes of central and southern Zagros, parts of the south-central, northeast and east of Alborz.”

Naqshine, referring to “heavy snowfall” in Malayer, Shazand, and Khvansar and “increased rainfall intensity” in Yasuj and Semirom, said: “This rain system can take the form of hail in some rainfall-prone areas and snow in the cold and high-altitude areas of Zagros and Alborz.”

This meteorology expert recalled: “Tomorrow this rain system will weaken and pass through western and central areas, but we have rainfall for eastern, northeastern, and southeastern sections, and on the western heights of Alborz, rainfall will be scattered, and we expect heavy rain squalls accompanied by strong winds over the next two days.”

He clarified: “Today on the heights of Lorestan, Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari, eastern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, and south and west of Isfahan, Alborz, Tehran, Mazandaran, Semnan, Golestan, and North Khorasan provinces, fog and traffic disruption on mountain roads and snowfall are predicted.”

Tomorrow night; the arrival of the next wave of rainfall to the country

Amin Hossein Naqshine added: “This situation can occur with less intensity in the northwest, but today the Persian Gulf, Oman Sea and Strait of Hormuz will be wavy and stormy, and the Caspian Sea will be wavy today, and we will have strong winds for the southwest and southeast of the country today.”

This meteorology expert, stating that today and tomorrow strong winds can cause dust in the southeastern and eastern parts of the country, also spoke about Iran’s capital: “For Tehran, rainy weather today sometimes accompanied by rain squalls, thunderstorms and strong winds, and for tomorrow scattered rainfall with possible strong winds are predicted.”

Naqshine, finally stating that “the next wave of rainfall will affect the northwest and west tomorrow night,” clarified: “This wave can bring rain and snow on Thursday in western, northwestern, Alborz slopes and northeast areas.”

48-hour closure of business units in northern Tehran

Simultaneously with warnings and predictions of possible flooding, including in Iran’s capital, Tehran’s major police force also announced the 48-hour closure of business units in northern Tehran. Colonel Taghi Afarand, deputy director of supervision over places of Tehran’s public security police, said: “We have notified business units in northern Tehran to close for 48 hours.”

According to Mehr news agency, this law enforcement official added: “For 48 hours, operators of business units located in Darband, Darake, Fasham, Lavasan, Farhazhad, Kan, and Sulqan have been notified that, given the prevailing weather conditions in the country and the possibility of flooding and water accumulation in the mentioned places, and in order to protect their own lives and property and that of respected citizens, they should close their business units.” According to him: “Also, operators of business units in these areas have been notified to refrain from providing any services to customers.”

Closure of Saadabad Complex and restaurants in Darband and Darake

Following the announcement of alerts in some Iranian provinces, including Khuzestan, Lorestan, Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, and Ilam yesterday, Tehran was also placed on alert today. Ishaq Jahangiri, the First Vice President of Iran, had previously said: “We must protect Tehran with all our might tonight.”

According to ISNA, Siavash Shahriyar, the governor of Shemiranat, announced yesterday evening, referring to the “alert status” of this governorate: “The entire logistics of Tajrish city district and departments are on high alert; we hope no flooding occurs, but given the history of previous floods, we have full preparedness in terms of facilities, human resources, and support, and we have evacuated all high-risk areas of Shemiranat.”

The governor of Shemiranat, in a session of the crisis management headquarters of Tehran province, attended by the First Vice President of Iran, referring to measures taken in Shemiranat County to prevent and deal with possible flooding in the county, said: “From Monday morning, we issued necessary warnings to all citizens of Tajrish city district and departments, closed and evacuated all restaurants, and ordered these places to remain closed until tomorrow night.”

Siavash Shahriyar, stating that “the Saadabad Palace Museum and all places where flooding might occur will be closed tomorrow,” added: “We have also closed all restaurants in Darband and Darake areas to prevent crowding and human accumulation in these places.”

“Semi-critical” condition of Iran’s roads

Meanwhile, Nader Rahmani, head of the information and traffic control center of the Traffic Police of the Islamic Republic, described the condition of Iran’s roads as “semi-critical” and said that today, Tuesday, “is not a suitable day for travel.”

Colonel Nader Rahmani announced: “Currently, we are witnessing snowfall on most roads in Ardabil province, and we also have snow on some roads in East Azerbaijan, Tamarchin in West Azerbaijan, Malayer-Arak, Hamadan, Islam-Khalkhal in Gilan, Rain-Aligudarz, and Meimeh-Delijan in Isfahan.”

The head of the traffic information and control center of the Traffic Police also added: “Rainfall is observed on most roads in West Azerbaijan, Semnan, Hamadan, Central, Lorestan, Bushehr, Razavi Khorasan, Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari, Fars, Gilan, Isfahan, Mazandaran, North Khorasan, Golestan, Ilam, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Kerman, and Yazd.”

Colonel Rahmani, referring to the fact that “today there is fog accompanied by reduced visibility in East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Hamadan, Zanjan, Kurdistan, and Isfahan provinces,” said: “Today is not a suitable day for travel. Environmental conditions must return to more normal to allow travel. Today the condition of roads is semi-critical.”

Call for the Interior Minister’s Dismissal

The human casualties and severe financial damage from flooding and river overflows in many parts of Iran have once again brought criticism of natural disaster management. Some have targeted Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, Iran’s Interior Minister, with their criticism.

According to “Entekhab” news site, Hojatoleslam Nasser Ghomi, head of the Reformist Council of Qazvin Province, in an open letter to Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s President, in response to “weak management by the Interior Ministry and some governorates in the recent flooding incident in several provinces,” wrote among other things: “The weak management and lack of foresight regarding multiple natural disasters that occurred in the country during this minister’s tenure, any one of which alone would have warranted his resignation, and if he did not resign, Your Excellency should have dismissed him, which unfortunately has not been done so far.”

Nasser Ghomi, in his letter to Rouhani, referring to Rahmani Fazli as “an unsuitable person to manage a large ministry like the Interior Ministry,” emphasized that “today the honorable people of the northern and western provinces of the country and also the city of Shiraz must bear the heavy cost of the incompetence of the minister and governors appointed by him.”

This member of the sixth parliament, whose eligibility was rejected by the Guardian Council in the seventh, eighth, and tenth parliaments, finally wrote to Hassan Rouhani: “Mr. President, until when will the demands and requests of the people be ignored?”

Today it was also announced that the seasonal “Jabal” river in Goharpaie city in eastern Isfahan has overflowed following heavy rainfall. According to the Young Journalists Club news agency, local officials have also said that “given weather predictions and the possibility of continued rainfall until the end of today, unfortunately, the possibility of the Jabal dam breaking seems certain.”

The Governorate of Izeh County, one of the cities of Khuzestan Province, has also announced that due to the prediction of heavy rainfall in this city on Tuesday, all offices, institutions, and government organizations in Izeh are closed.

The Iran Meteorological Organization issued an alert yesterday regarding heavy rainfall, the possibility of river overflows, and flooding on the fifth, sixth, and seventh days of Farvardin in various parts of the country.

Source: DW