Despite floods, Rasamny insists preventive works carried out by Ministry 'proved effective' during storm

BEIRUT — The Minister of Public Works and Transport, Fayez Rasamny, said in a statement on Wednesday that Tuesday's storm showed that the preventive work carried out by the ministry to prevent floods "proved effective," despite the fact that the the rain caused significant flooding in several areas.

The affected areas include Beirut (Ashrafieh near Sassine Square, the Ring Bridge), the capital's southern suburbs (Hay al-Sellom, Souk Sabra, the airport road and its surroundings) Khaldeh, and Mkalles, among other areas, Rasamny assessed.

"Despite the intensity of the rainfall that came down within just a few minutes, the ministry’s teams were able to address the water accumulations at record speed in all locations that fall within the ministry’s jurisdiction, noting that administrative Beirut, which witnessed many floods, does not fall under the ministry’s responsibility, but we are keen to assist," Rasamny said in a statement relayed by the state-run National News Agency (NNA).

He added that the "water accumulations that appeared in some spots were not due to any structural flaws, but rather because of garbage carried by the floods, which clogged the drains within minutes."

In September, the Ministry of Public Works launched an awareness campaign against littering on roads, one of the main causes of the recurrent flooding that affects the country’s major roads every winter.

Each year, winter rains in Lebanon cause significant flooding on many main roads, worsened by poor infrastructure maintenance and clogged drains, paralyzing traffic and trapping motorists, particularly in low-lying coastal areas.