Record rainfall causes airport chaos, other disruptions

The United Arab Emirates continues to suffer from flooding caused by the heaviest rainfall on record in the desert state, with airlines, banks and urban transport facing significant disruptions and service outages.

About a year’s worth of rain fell on the normally dry Gulf country in just 12 hours. And in many homes and businesses in Dubai and other emirates, running water and electricity no longer work.

“The shower does not work.” “I can’t flush the toilet.” “Nothing comes out of the taps.” These and similar messages flooded Whatsapp groups in Dubai on Wednesday and Thursday, as many residents living in villas found themselves stuck indoors, with more than a foot of water flooding the roads outside their homes and swamping their cars.

A widely shared message urged: “DO NOT walk through flooded areas and DO NOT touch metal objects on the ground while in water,” warning of electric shock. Yet with their cars out of service and taxis avoiding flooded areas, some residents who were short of food still ventured out to do their shopping.

“Wear sneakers and shorts and bring a backpack to carry your food,” advised a resident of the upscale residential neighborhood of Al Manara. Video footage from some neighborhoods showed residents on surfboards and even jet skis to get around. Beiruti Flame Grill, a local Lebanese restaurant, was one of several businesses in Dubai completely submerged – its staff using a raft to get around the neighborhood.

“Some of our friends lost almost everything – houses up to their waists in water. It’s been horrible for a lot of people,” one resident, who declined to be named due to restrictions, told CNBC professionals.

For others, the climate catastrophe has brought out the best in their community.

“Our community has honestly been amazing, coming together and helping each other where they can,” Samantha Denichaud, a movement therapist living in Dubai, told CNBC. “I think it was a time when neighbors who otherwise would never have connected got to know each other. It was horrible but also strangely incredible.”

She described residents preparing meals and donating blankets and toiletries to security and maintenance workers who were unable to return home.

Some areas of the UAE received more than 100mm of rain between Tuesday and Wednesday – a record in the 75 years since the country began recording rainfall, according to the country’s National Meteorology Center. The government published a red warning, closing offices, schools and banks across the country. The National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Authority warned Residents should stay home and park their vehicles in elevated locations away from flood-prone areas.

Hundreds of cars were abandoned on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Highway, with drivers’ engines failing as water rose around them. The city’s subway became a makeshift night shelter as people working in and around some stations could not return home.

While water levels in some areas are falling and parts of the city are completely dry, some are still too submerged for maintenance and repair services to access. Police cars block certain roads deemed too dangerous, while pump trucks work to empty the streets of water.

A massive cleanup is underway and will need to continue for some time. The UAE Interior Ministry announced the “end of weather fluctuations” on Wednesday evening and said efforts were continuing to “complete the recovery phase.” Field teams “will continue their intensive efforts to ensure full recovery and return to normal life in all affected areas,” the ministry statement said.

Dubai Airport was a scene of chaos as frustrated travelers were told they would not be able to fly. The airport urged travelers not to come to the airport unless absolutely necessary and suspended check-ins until Thursday morning.

For those who landed before inbound flights were suspended, getting home was also an effort.

“Airport staff told everyone to take the metro for two stops and then take the replacement bus… We arrived and there was no replacement service,” said CNBC a British resident of Dubai returning from vacation. “It looked like the airport was just trying to offload the bodies further… Eventually our companion arrived in a van and took us home.”

In a statement, a Dubai Airport spokesperson said the airport was “working to restore operations as quickly as possible under these difficult circumstances”, and said that “due to the crowds, access to Terminal 1 is now strictly limited to passengers whose departures are confirmed.” It added that “no rebooking facility is available at the terminal.”

Many others are still stranded abroad, as waves of travelers returned home this week after the Eid holiday, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Customers have come to X to complain about long wait times to contact airline customer service, or the inability to contact a human at all.

“Our contact centers are experiencing a high volume of interactions due to heavy rain in Dubai and you may experience long wait times before we can respond to you,” said a notice on the Emirates Airline website, asking customers to refrain from calling if their flight is not planned. in the next 48 hours.

For Fanny Balleuil, a French woman living in the United Arab Emirates, being stuck in Bahrain – where she was diverted on her way home to Dubai – is actually more of a blessing in disguise. His roommates told him his room was completely flooded; it is uninhabitable until the water is pumped out by maintenance workers, who cannot access his neighborhood until Friday at the earliest.

“My flight was canceled. I’m stuck in Bahrain, and it’s actually a lovely country,” she said. “I would never have come there without this happening!”