Kurdistan Region cities hit with flooding

Roads and homes in parts of Erbil governorate in Iraqi Kurdistan were overwhelmed by flooding produced by the first major rainstorm of the season on Saturday, October 30, tying up traffic and highlighting the poor state of water infrastructure in the governorate.

According to Kurdistan Directorate of Metrology, 55mm of precipitation fell over the past 24 hours in Pirmam, which is located 27 km northeast of Erbil city.

It is extremely dangerous to drive into standing water, even if it looks calm. Beyond water damage to the vehicle, currents can easily pick up vehicles and carrying them and their passengers away.

Safety officials around the world routinely advise motorists not to drive through water, advising "Turn around, don’t drown.”

One man trying to drive to Balisan told NRT while that "the road is blocked and I can’t go back home.”

In addition to the flooded roads, houses in Kore, Mala Omer, and Shari Zerin were inundated by floodwaters.

Erbil, which serves as the capital of the Kurdistan Region, is notorious for its fragile sewage and storm water systems, which are frequently overwhelmed beyond capacity during rainstorms. Summers in the Region are typically quite dry, with very little precipitation between May and November, with the winters typically rainier.

Reporter's code: 50101

News Code 1649

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