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2019 Iran floods

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by VNVDVI (talk | contribs) at 02:49, 5 April 2019 (I removed an unreliable news source (IranNewsWire). This is an opposition outlet based outside of Iran with their own agenda; citing relief organizations and other well-established, reputable sources is more appropriate. Other than that, minor grammatical corrections were made.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

2019 Iran floods
A flooded community in Golestan Province on 21 March
Date19 March 2019 – present
LocationFars Province
Golestan Province
Mazandaran Province
Tehran
Lorestan Province
Deaths62 deaths, 478 injured[1]
Property damageNot yet announced

In March–April 2019, widespread flash flooding affected large areas of Iran, most severely in Golestan, Fars, Khuzestan, Lorestan, and other provinces. At least 62 people died nationwide as of 3 April.[2] Twenty-three of the nation's thirty-one provinces experienced flooding.

The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies launched major relief efforts with the Iranian Red Crescent deploying 11,000 personnel.

Golestan and Mazandaran

Flooding in Aqqala, Golestan

On 20 March 2019, massive rainfall in the two provinces of Golestan and Mazandaran in Iran brought about heavy flooding.[3] These floods resulted in financial damage to the people living in these areas and also the death of two children.[4]

Parts of Golestan province received 50–70 percent of their average rainfall over a five-day period. Some areas recorded approximately 300 mm (12 in) of rainfall, equivalent to the usual annual rainfall. These amounts exceed the past rainfall in the region for at least 70 years. The floods in Golestan and Mazandaran provinces is considered a 1-in-100 year event.[5]

Shiraz

Damage of flooding in Shiraz

On 25 March, flash floods following heavy rains in Southwestern Iran in the vicinity of the city of Shiraz[6] killed 19 people[7] and injured more than 200 others.[8] Many people were traveling for the Nowruz holiday, and were injured or killed when their cars were swept off of roads. Rain was short but heavy, lasting in two bursts of approximately 15 minutes each, however, the impact was exacerbated by the heavy road traffic at the time. Iran's Meteorological Organisation gave warnings for further floods, as heavy rains were expected to last at least until 27 March.[9] The leader of the Iranian Ministry of Energy has stated that climate change was a contributing factor to the flooding.[9] As of 26 March 2019, 20 of Iran's 31 provinces are either currently flooded or facing the possibility of imminent flooding.[6]

A brief but intense rainfall caused a sudden flash flood that submerged a main highway between Shiraz and Esfahan, trapping many travelers who had been leaving the city after Nowruz celebrations. City officials did not warn the people of Shiraz of the deadly weather conditions resulting in many deaths.[10]


Lorestan

Flooding in Pol-e dokhtar, Lorestan province.

Heavy rains on 3 April, have completely overwhelmed several towns in the mountainous Lorestan province.[11] The town of Poldokhtar in Lorestan Province was engulfed by flood water. When waters subsided,cars and homes sunken in thick layers of mud.[12] According to an internal police report, at least 90 people were killed when floods engulfed the western city of Poldokhtar in Lorestan province.[13] According to the IRGC affiliated Tasnim News Agency, Heydari said that the conditions in Poldokhtar were “horrific”.[14]

Damage

The flooding caused the destruction hundreds of millions of dollars of infrastructure and the collapse of at least 314 bridges across the country.[15] Twenty-three of the nation's thirty-one provinces were affected. Agriculture suffered tremendous damage, with losses in the sector reaching 46 trillion rials (US$1.1 billion) by 3 April. Golestan accounted for the largest portion at 20 trillion rials (US$480 million).[16] At least 25,000 houses were completely destroyed, while another 60,000 sustained some form of damage.[17]

Mohamad Hossein Talebian, deputy chairman of Iran’s Cultural Heritage Organization reported on 27 March that "cracks on the ancient reliefs in Naqsh-e Rustam in Fars province are widening in a critical way." Social media reports revealed a waterfall made by the floods that has been washing away parts of the monument. In April 1398, the floods caused severe damage to the city of Khorramabad The construction of a new and non-expert bridge on the Khorramabad River with a very low altitude from the river level has exacerbated and flooded the streets of Khorramabad city.[18]

Although, according to Talebian, "The Persepolis remains intact as its ancient water ducts have drained flood water." The ancient water ducts also protected the Tomb of Cyrus the Great and saved the internationally acclaimed site from destruction by the floods. Excavations of Great Wall of Gorgan were also damaged due to its close proximity to a dry riverbed which experienced flooding. The floods have damaged the Aq Qala bridge in northern Iran and several other centuries-old bridges in Isfahan and Shoushtar.[18]

Relief efforts

People in Shiraz light candles at Quran Gate

The Government of Iran declared a state of emergency for Khuzestan Province on 31 March.[19] President Hassan Rouhani deployed "all available capacities" to assist victims.[20]

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched widespread relief efforts nationwide. Sayed Hashem, the IFRC's Middle East regional director, called the floods "an unprecedented crisis".[21] The Iranian Red Crescent led recovery, deploying 11,000 personnel to assist 192,000 people. The Turkish Red Crescent deployed a five-truck convoy carrying 320 tents, 500 bedstead, 100 hygiene kits, 1,625 blankets, 360 kitchen kits and 60 stoves.[22] By 3 April, the agency released 500,000 francs from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to assist 3,000 families.[21]

Through 1 April, Iranian citizens donated more than 15 billion rials (US$3.7 million) to the Iranian Red Crescent.[22]

Shortly after the floods began the Rouhani administration proceeded to ban all third party charities to help the flood relief effort citing that all donations must be made directly to the Iranian government thus preventing foreign aid from reaching the country.[23] The governor of Golestan province was also reportedly on vacation outside the country during the floods.[24] Authorities also banned foreign journalists from covering the flood stricken areas.[15]

Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei were heavily criticized for their delayed response. Rouhani was on vacation on Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf and returned to Tehran while the floods had begun subsiding. The lack of aid and absence of the Iranian government quickly prompted outrage among the victims of the floods. Iranians across the nation expressed their frustration by a Persian hashtag translated as "Where is Rouhani?" Iranians also began calling for Rouhani’s resignation.[25]

Many Iranians took to social media platforms to criticize the handling of the floods by the government, specifically Rouhani, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Khamenei were also the targets of criticism.[15][26] Swedish-Iranian academic and researcher Ahmad Reza Jalali, currently on death row after being sentenced at the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran, gave an interview to U.S. government-funded Radio Farda attributing the destruction of natural plant coverage, obstruction of flood outlets, and converting flood routes and dry river beds to residential areas following the Islamic Revolution were the causes of the flash floods in Shiraz.[27]

References

  1. ^ "Iran calls emergency in flood-threatened southwest province". Reuters.
  2. ^ "Iran puts death toll from flooding at 62". ABC News. 3 April 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  3. ^ "هشدار هواشناسی به مسافران نوروزی؛ باران و رگبار گسترده در راه است- اخبار اجتماعی– اخبار تسنیم – Tasnim". خبرگزاری تسنیم – Tasnim (in Persian). Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  4. ^ "فیلم/ تصاویر هوایی اورژانس از گستردگی سیل در استان گلستان- اخبار اجتماعی – اخبار تسنیم – Tasnim". خبرگزاری تسنیم – Tasnim (in Persian). Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  5. ^ کرمی, ناصر (23 March 2019). "سیل گلستان در چنبره تقلیل و ساده سازی". Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Iran flooding leaves at least 21 dead, and more rain on the way". CBS News. 26 March 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  7. ^ Death toll from Iran flooding rises to 44, say officials 28 March 2019 at 8:00 pm
  8. ^ Cappucci, Matthew (27 March 2019). "Floodwaters deluge Iran, killing at least 23, after a month's worth of rain turns roads into rivers". The Washington Post. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  9. ^ a b Jalili, Saeed (26 March 2019). "Iran flood: More than a dozen killed in flash flooding". aljazeera.com. Al Jazeera. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  10. ^ CNN, Artemis Moshtaghian. "Flash flooding kills 19, injures more than 100 in southwest Iran". CNN. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  11. ^ "Latest On Iran Flood Disaster: Extraordinary Emergency In Many Towns". RFE/RL.
  12. ^ "Flood stricken western province faces "disaster" while homeless locals live in open fields without tents". 3 April 2019.
  13. ^ "Internal police report: At least 90 killed in one city in western Iran floods". 2 April 2019.
  14. ^ "نجات 39 نفر از مردم پلدختر از محاصره سیل‌/ ورود تجهیزات و تیم‌های پزشکی به پلدختر- اخبار اجتماعی - اخبار تسنیم - Tasnim". خبرگزاری تسنیم - Tasnim.
  15. ^ a b c Daragahi, Borzou (30 March 2019). "Iran's Hurricane Katrina Moment". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  16. ^ Jeff Masters (3 April 2019). "Record Floods in Iran Kill 62, Cause Over $1 Billion in Damage". Weather Underground. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  17. ^ "Floods Demolish 25,000 Houses Across Iran, Damage 60,000 Others". RFE/RL. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  18. ^ a b "Floods Threaten Iran's Ancient Relics As Cracks On Historic Walls Widen". Radio Farda. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  19. ^ Iran – Flash Floods Update (JRC, Media) (ECHO Daily Flash of 31 March 2019) (Report). ReliefWeb. 31 March 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019. {{cite report}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  20. ^ Flash Floods Hit Iran Again as Western Province Submerged (Report). ReliefWeb. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019. {{cite report}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  21. ^ a b “Iran is under water” – IFRC announces support as flood crisis worsens (Report). ReliefWeb. 3 April 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019. {{cite report}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  22. ^ a b Turkish Red Crescent Joins Operations in Iran Flood-Hit Areas (Report). ReliefWeb. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019. {{cite report}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  23. ^ "Iran bans non-official crowdfunding appeals after deadly flash floods". Euro News. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  24. ^ "Torrential rain and flooding kill 17 in Iran". The Independent. 25 March 2019.
  25. ^ "Iranians enraged by Rouhani's no-show in flood-stricken areas". Al Monitor. 26 March 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  26. ^ Daragahi, Borzou (25 March 2019). "Torrential rain and flooding kill 17 in Iran". The Independent. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  27. ^ "Scientist On Death Row In Iran Speaks To Radio Farda On Floods". Radio Farda.
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