Heavy rainfall and flood risk in southern and western Iran

Many cities in Iran are at risk of flooding. Flooding has caused disaster in Shiraz and has also caused damage in Lorestan. The Meteorological Organization says that many other cities in western and southern Iran are also at risk of flooding.

The flood in Shiraz has taken on catastrophic proportions and, in addition to causing extensive damage, has also claimed the lives of a number of citizens. At the same time, the flood has also caused damage in Lorestan. Heavy rain in Pol-e-Dokhtar has caused flooding and damage to the city, and power outages have occurred in 50 villages in the region.

At the same time, the Iranian Meteorological Organization announced that in the next 48 hours, we will witness heavy rainfall in the southern and southwestern regions of the country, with the amount of rainfall in these areas reaching about 400 mm. Tehran may also face heavy rain.

Amin Hossein Naghshineh, an expert at the Meteorological Organization, told IRNA: "We are currently witnessing heavy rain in Hamedan, Kermanshah, and Markazi Province, and in Shazand, Hamedan, the precipitation is relatively heavy in the form of snow. We expect this precipitation system to cover other parts of the country, except for the eastern strip of Iran, and cause rain and snow."

The expert continued: "Precipitation is significant in the western, southwestern, southern, central provinces, the slopes of the Zagros, the coasts of the Caspian Sea, and the southern slopes of the Alborz, and today and tomorrow (Farvardin 25 and 26), floods and river overflows are expected in the provinces of Khuzestan, Bushehr, Ilam, Kermanshah, East Kurdistan, Lorestan, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Fars, west of Isfahan, south of Qom, north of Hormozgan, and the Persian Gulf islands."

According to him, thunderstorms and lightning are among the phenomena of this precipitation system in the mentioned regions, and in the high altitudes, snowfall will cause slippery mountain roads. For mountain roads in the provinces of Markazi, Lorestan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Zanjan, Hamedan, West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan, Ardabil, and the Alborz highlands in the provinces of Qazvin, Alborz, Tehran, and Semnan, there will also be precipitation, and for Gilan and western Mazandaran, flooding of roads is predicted.

Governors and governors should be on full alert.

President Hassan Rouhani ordered all governors, governors, and officials to remain on full alert by continuously attending their places of work until the end of the Nowruz holidays, and to anticipate the necessary preparations to manage problems arising from possible flooding, while establishing communication and coordination with other relevant agencies.

According to IRNA, Hassan Rouhani also ordered the ministries, the Planning and Budget Organization, and the responsible agencies to form a working group, increase their efforts to fully resolve the crisis and assess the damages, and submit their operational proposals within today and tomorrow (Monday and Tuesday) for consideration at the government meeting on Wednesday.

Possibility of flooding in rivers in Tehran province

The CEO of Tehran Regional Water Company warned of heavy rain and flooding of rivers in Tehran province in the coming days.

Hassan Razavi told the media that based on the announcement by the Iranian Meteorological Organization that rain systems will enter from the south and west of the country and spread to the provinces located in the northwest, west, southwest, and the Alborz highlands in Tehran Province, there is a possibility of heavy rain and flooding in rivers and streams in Tehran Province.

He warned travelers and tourists, saying: "Tourists who plan to have fun around the rivers and streams around Tehran these days should pay serious attention to the warnings issued by relevant organizations."

Red Crescent warning: Avoid traveling to flooded areas

In a statement, the Red Crescent Society urged Nowruz travelers to avoid traveling to these areas until the situation returns to normal, due to flooding in the western and southern regions of the country.

Referring to the announcement by the Meteorological Organization, the Red Crescent Society called on residents of areas that are within the range of possible heavy rainfall in the coming hours to stay at home as much as possible and, if a warning is issued by the relevant agencies, to leave their residences for temporary Red Crescent accommodation (in stadiums, schools, etc.) and cooperate with relief agencies in this regard.

The Red Crescent also urged Nowruz travelers to avoid camping in open spaces and to go to public covered places if necessary.

The Red Crescent Society's announcement also stated that due to the rough conditions in the Persian Gulf, it is necessary to avoid sea travel and staying near the coast as much as possible in the coming days.

Andimeshk Governor: Residents near rivers should evacuate their homes

Peyman Jahangiri, the governor of Andimeshk, says that due to the rainfall conditions and the possibility of flooding caused by the rainfall, many areas and functions of this county are considered high-risk areas.

The governor of Andimeshk said: Residents of the Papiabad, Dubandar town, and Aliabad areas of the central part of the city, which are located along the river, should evacuate their homes as soon as possible.

Peyman Jahangiri added: "The district governor and village heads in these areas are busy informing residents immediately, and the necessary measures have been taken to control incidents, and we hope that we are not in serious danger."

Source: DW