Lebanon witnessed a stormy and snowy night, amid a sharp drop in temperatures. Today, snow continued to fall at lower heights, and heavy rains fell and torrential torrents formed.
Akkar In the Akkar governorate, snow covered the mountainous heights at an altitude of 900 meters, and its thickness in Qamoua reached 40 centimeters, and all mountain roads were cut off, especially those that connect Akkar to the Bekaa through Hermel.
And the head of the snow shoveling center in Al-Qaytaa’ inventory, Khaled Deeb, said that “the bulldozers of the Ministry of Public Works, the Union of Jurd Al-Qayta’ Municipalities and the Municipality of Fneideq have started work since the morning to reopen the roads between the mountain towns and villages,” noting that “the public road of Al-Qayta’ inventory – Fneideq Al-Qamou’a is open for cars.” Four-wheel drive and those equipped with metal chains, as well as a blocking steer.
As for the cut roads, they are: Wata Mishmish - Marjahin - Hermel Al Qamoua - Joz Al Dara - Hermel Al Qamoua - Al Shanbouq - Qobayat Akrom - Al Ruwaimah - Bait Jaafar Al Qobayat Main Road - Beit Jaafar - Hermel starting from the locality of the church
Indicating that heavy rains have raised the level of rivers, turned main roads into lakes, and stormed the tents of displaced Syrians in the Sahel area and homes in the town of Safina al-Qayta', while storms damaged citrus orchards and protected agricultural homes.
In turn, farmers feared the formation of ice, which could cause severe damage to various agricultural products inside the greenhouses. Aley also covered the villages of Al-Matn Al-Ala and Jurd Aley at an altitude of 900 meters, and its thickness ranged between 5 and 15 centimeters. Nabatiyeh Snow fell at an altitude of 1200 meters in Iqlim al-Tuffah, accompanied by cold winds, and bulldozers of the Union of Municipalities of the Region are working to open the cut roads, while large hail fell on the city of Nabatiyeh and heavy rains fell and springs erupted in the upper part of the region and the water flowed into the course of a river Al-Zahrani.
Civil Defense members appealed to drivers to be careful while driving for fear of slips and traffic accidents due to the dense fog.
In turn, the head of the Jabal al-Rayhan Municipalities Union, Basem Sharaf al-Din, confirmed that the Jabal al-Rayhan-Western Bekaa road was finally cut off as a result of the accumulation of snow, with the exception of four-wheel drive vehicles, and he asked the people to stay in their homes and not approach the area due to the difficulty of movement.
On the Jarjoua-Luweizeh road, the torrential rains caused large boulders to roll towards the facilities of the Al-Tasah spring and caused severe damage to the electrical feeding station, the pumping pipes, the generator room, and one of the pumping wells.
Snow also fell on the heights of Iqlim al-Tuffah, especially Jabal Safi and Jabal al-Rayhan, and it was reported that al-Rayhan road towards the western Bekaa was impassable, except for cars equipped with metal chains. The Lebanese Civil Defense teams and the teams affiliated with the Union of Municipalities of Iqlim al-Tuffah were put on high alert to keep pace with the weather conditions and the behavior of citizens on the roads in the towns and villages of the region, while teams from the Union of Municipalities of Jabal al-Rihan worked to open the cut roads.
In Nabatiyeh, it rained heavily and flooded the streets and agricultural fields, and the level of the Arabsalim River stream was recorded at the Sitt Zubaydah Bridge. Rashaya Snow fell heavily at night and at dawn in the areas of Rashaya and the Western Bekaa, accompanied by a severe frost wave. Its thickness reached 30 centimeters in villages with a height of more than 1200 meters, especially in the towns of Ain Atta, Aiha, Kafrkouk, Yanta, Deir Al-Asheer, Hala, Baka, Maithoun and Labaya. The main roads between Dahr al-Ahmar, Rashaya and the villages of the district, between Saghbin and Mashghara in the direction of Ain al-Tineh and from Gaza towards Jeb Jenin, Lala al-Qaraoun, became difficult to use except for four-wheel drive vehicles and those equipped with metal chains.
Municipalities and bulldozers affiliated with the Ministry of Works are also working to open roads to prevent the accumulation of snow, and the relief sectors, especially the Red Cross and Civil Defense, have mobilized, and the mechanisms of the Lebanese army have been placed at the disposal of civilians in isolated villages to transport Corona patients whose health condition requires transportation to hospitals.
Sources in the Litani Authority expected an increase in the water level in Lake Qaraoun due to rain and melting snow. Halba, and the heavy rains led to the collapse of part of an old abandoned house, in the “Al-Qubba” neighborhood of Halba, and it fell on the outskirts of two houses without causing damage.
The people appealed to the governor of Akkar, Imad al-Labbaki, who is entrusted with the tasks of the dissolved municipality of Halba, to help them, expressing their fear of new collapses due to the continued rain, which will cause damage to the two houses that they are unable to remove. Hasbaya, in the early hours of the morning, bulldozers belonging to the municipality of Shebaa and the Ministry of Public Works began shoveling snow and reopening roads in the town of Shebaa, which connects it to Hasbaya, Kfarshouba and Ain Atta across the Janaam axis, after their thickness reached 20 cm.
The workshops of the Ministry of Works have also worked to open the roads leading to the centers of the Lebanese army and considered the UNIFIL sites belonging to the Indian battalion in the Shebaa Hills and Kfar Shuba isolated, while the bulldozers of the Ministry of Public Works are opening the cut roads in the villages of Arqoub.
On the other hand, the torrential rains led to a rise in the level of the Hasbani and Al-Wazzani rivers, and the rains flooded agricultural fields in Wadi Khansa, Al-Maari and Ain Arab, causing damage to crops. Jezzine Civil Defense bulldozers and the union of Jezzine and Jabal al-Rehan municipalities are also working to open roads at an altitude of 900 meters and above, while the union of Jezzine municipalities has closed some roads and prevented cars from driving for their own safety. Ehden Snow covered the northern heights above 800 meters and its thickness reached about half a meter in Ehden, and heavy rain fell on the coastal areas, accompanied by cold winds.
The head of the Snow Lifting Center in Ehden, Rooney Al-Turs, called on drivers not equipped with their cars to “not take risks and go up to Ehden in order to avoid obstructing the work of the center’s bulldozers,” noting that “work is currently focused on opening public and main roads.”
On the coasts, heavy rains fall accompanied by active winds, which led to the formation of torrential rains, and the flooding of rivers into citrus orchards, sweeping away dust and mud. Al-Shouf and the upper Chouf region, which caused the roads to be cut off from a height of 900 meters and above, and almost completely paralyzed the movement, especially the strip of villages extending from Niha, Jbaa, Marsti, and Baadran all the way to Al-Barouk, Ain Zhalta, Kfarnabrakh and Batloun, while the roads of Deir al-Qamar, Baakleen and Beit Debt is risky.
Snow arrived for the first time this winter, to the Al-Manasef area, starting from Kfarhim and upwards, while the Maaser Al-Shouf-Al-Arz-Kefraya road was cut at night and the thickness of the snow reached more than 30 centimeters.
The storm was accompanied by a drop in temperatures, sometimes strong winds, dense fog and hail showers, which caused great damage to plants and buds. El-Matn The snow also touched villages and towns in El-Matn at an altitude of 700 meters, and its thickness in mountain villages such as Dhour El-Shwer and Baskinta ranged between 20 and 30 centimeters, which led to the cutting of roads, and the Ministry of Works' bulldozers are working to open them. As for the Bikfaya-Dhour Choueir and Bikfaya-Bitghrine road, it is open for four-wheel drive vehicles equipped with metal chains. The storm also led to a power outage in some villages. Kesrouan As for the district of Kesrouan - Al-Ftouh, the snow touched 700 meters and led to the closure of some internal roads in the towns above 1,000 meters, while the civil defense teams are working with the concerned authorities to keep all roads clear.
Civil Defense personnel in Ghbala center opened a secondary road in the town to facilitate the passage of a Red Cross vehicle in order to transport and ambulance patients with corona to the hospital. Bcharre The machinery and bulldozers of the Ministry of Public Works, the Union of Municipalities of Bcharre District and the region's municipalities are opening roads in the villages and towns of the district, especially since the snow has reached an altitude of 600 meters.
Union President Elie Makhlouf thanked the head of the Cedar Snow Plowing Center, Walid Kayrouz, and the workers and drivers of the center for their efforts, and thanked the municipal police and its employees for their permanent readiness to ensure public safety on the roads.
On the other hand, the Barhelyoun - Bsharri road was cut off due to the fall of a huge pine tree and the accumulation of snow. Batroun and in the Batroun region, the thickness of snow exceeded half a meter in the Tannourine inventory and the barren areas, and ranged between 5 cm at a height of 800 and 900 meters, rising to 10 and 15 cm at a height of 1000 meters and reaching 30 cm at a height of 1400 meters.
Snow shoveling mechanisms opened the main road from Tannourine Al-Tahta upwards towards Tannourine Al-Fouqa, while snow, whose thickness exceeded 60 cm, closed the two roads of Tannourine towards Laqlouq and Hadath Al-Jebbah.
The storm intensified during the night hours, and hail rained down on the Batroun coast and in the central villages and towns. The roads turned into lakes and fog enveloped the area.
The storm also caused damage to the electricity network, which led to a power outage in a number of villages and towns. Jbeil In the Jbeil district, snow fell at a height of 900 meters. The Ministry of Works bulldozers have been working in the snow shoveling center in Ehmej and civil defense personnel since the morning to open roads to citizens so that they became impassable for cars equipped with iron chains or four-wheel drives.
The head of the snow shoveling center, Mounir Daher, said that "all public roads are passable, except for the Laqlouq-Tannourine road, which is still closed due to the accumulation of snow."
The storm damaged plastic houses and electrical wires belonging to Electricité du Liban in a number of villages in the district, and caused the uprooting of fruitful trees.
On the other hand, the maintenance teams of the Byblos Electricity Concession and Byblos for Advanced Energy repaired the faults left by the storm in the town of Edde and on the sea road in Amchit. the network".
Baalbek In Baalbek, the snowstorm began shortly after midnight, accompanied by violent winds. Since the dawn hours, the city’s roads were covered with a layer of snow accompanied by a drop in temperatures to below zero, while the thickness increased on the hills and lifts, where it exceeded 10 cm.
The roads witnessed light traffic, while the internet networks experienced some intermittent breakdowns, and the electricity was cut off in some villages due to the speed of the wind.
The bakeries, supermarkets and vegetable stores also witnessed an increasing demand for bread, food and catering materials, and an active movement was noted in front of the gas stations to fill in diesel fuel for heating.
In turn, the governor of Baalbek-Hermel, Bashir Khader, called on the municipalities, municipal unions, the teams of the Ministry of Public Works, Civil Defense and the Lebanese Red Cross “to remain in a state of complete readiness, and to take the necessary measures, measures and preparations, especially putting in place the necessary mechanisms to open mountain roads that will be covered by snow, in the interest of public safety, In order to avoid any damage that may result from the snow storm, heavy rain and wind, which will continue, according to the Meteorological Authority’s estimates, until next Friday.” He called on the people excluded from the general closure decision to “take caution and abide by the instructions of the security forces in order to preserve their safety.”
As for the mayor of Baalbek Fouad Balouk, he confirmed that “the municipality has taken the necessary measures in anticipation of the intensification of the storm, and has prepared bulldozers and workers’ workshops to intervene when necessary to open roads and sprinkle salt in the event of snow formation,” calling on citizens allowed to move and open their institutions to “be careful and follow the instructions in place.” With it when the snow storms.”
On the other hand, bulldozers from the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Public Works in the Bekaa began shoveling the accumulated snow on the roads in the mountainous towns at the eastern slopes of the West Lebanon Mountains, towards Ainata - Deir al-Ahmar, Ainata - Yamuna, and Yamouna - Dar al-Waseh.
The Ministry of Works’ bulldozers are also working to open the Nabi Sheet-Jinta-Yahfuf highway, and Arsal on the edge of the eastern chain. In Denniye, snow covered all the mountainous heights, areas and towns that are more than 900 meters above sea level, from the town of Izal in the west to Beit Hawik in the east, passing through the towns of Asoun, Sir, Bkaasfrin, Qarsona, Nimrin, Qersita, Beit Al-Faqs, Al-Safira and Kafr Benin, and it became impossible to walk on the roads leading to To these towns only in front of cars equipped with metal chains and SUVs.
Snow also cut off all the roads leading to the barren areas, especially the Kaas Safrin - Jurd Al-Najas road and the Karsuna road, Nabe` Al-Sukkar and the Merbin inventory, in addition to the main road linking Donnieh and Hermel, after snow accumulated on it.
In parallel, the central and coastal areas of Denniye witnessed heavy rainfall, which led to the formation of torrents and water pools on the roads, partially impeding the movement of traffic on them.
This was accompanied by a drop in temperatures to below zero in most of these areas due to the cold weather, which prompted citizens to stay in their homes and not leave them except for necessity.
Zahle In Zahle, the intensity of the storm intensified and snow fell at night and during the early morning hours at an altitude of 800 metres, so that the thickness of the snow and the villages of the Bekaa Valley ranged between 5 and 15 centimeters, while the thickness of the snow in the villages and towns of the eastern and western chains reached 30 centimeters, as for the snow on my way Tarshish Zahle and Dahr al-Baydar International Road, its thickness reached more than 60 cm.
The head of the Works Department in the Bekaa, Engineer Ahmed Al-Hajjar, under the supervision of the Governor of the Bekaa, Judge Kamal Abu Jawdeh, followed up the issue of opening roads and facilitating the affairs of citizens. To Chtoura, Al-Marj Al-Masna and Jdeidet Yabous, and Qab Elias Amiq Kefraya, all the way to the roads of villages and towns in the western Bekaa.
The Ministry of Works also responded to the calls of citizens who demanded the opening of roads leading to churches and mosques after receiving contacts about the presence of some deaths, while the civil defense personnel of the regional center in Zahle and the internal security forces raised their readiness. Sidon In Sidon, the storm forced the fishermen to take a forced vacation, as they stayed in their homes and refrained from fishing after they tied their nets on the quayside, while maritime traffic was paralyzed due to high waves, and the city witnessed heavy rainy weather accompanied by hail that covered the streets of the city and the neighborhood of Ain Al-Hilweh camp amidst A noticeable drop in temperature, while torrential rain formed on the sides of the roads, and the municipality of Sidon mobilized its emergency teams in anticipation of the storm.
Source: National News Agency