A street flooded in Saida, South Lebanon, after heavy rain on Nov. 25, 2022. (Credit: Muntasser Abdallah/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — Lebanon saw heavy heavy rainfall Friday, flooding roads in several parts of the country and disrupting traffic, while the Akkar, North Lebanon, saw its first snowfall.
Rain poured down in torrents in Saida, South Lebanon, and along the coastal highway from Damour and Naameh to Khaldeh south of Beirut. L'Orient Today's correspondent in the South saw Saida municipal workers opening sewage drains to remove accumulated water Friday morning, assisted by local residents.
Work halted at the city's port, with high waves preventing local fishermen from going out to sea.
Heavy rains also caused bumper-to-bumper traffic jams on parts of the coastal highway south of Beirut due to flooding, the state-run National News Agency reported.
Tyre and surrounding villages in South Lebanon witnessed similar scenes as rainfall caused suffocating traffic jams. In the Zahrani area, torrential rains damaged orchards and floods trapped vehicles in tunnels.
Extreme weather conditions did not spare the Akkar region. Areas from 2,235 meters saw the season's first snowfall, according to our correspondent in North Lebanon. Floods blocked some roads between Halba and Koueikhate, filing potholes with water and threatening motorists' safety. Strong winds damaged greenhouses in some agricultural fields.
With public infrastructure even more fragile than usual thanks to the three-year economic crisis, Lebanon once again finds itself ill-prepared for winter storms. Intense rains often flood large swathes of Lebanon's low-altitude coastal areas, prompting requests for assistance and rescue.
Reporting contributed by Muntasser Abdallah and Michel Hallak