Bad weather with winds and a heavy rainstorm over northwestern Libya, including the Greater Tripoli area, has led to today being announced a public holiday by the Greater Tripoli Municipalities.
Many roads, including main roads, crossings, intersections and the Second Ring Road were briefly closed yesterday and overnight due to knee high, and in certain spots, waist high rainwater. Drivers in certain regular blackspots, including the Second Ring Road, were forced to abandon their vehicles.
Flights
Several flights to Tripoli’s Mitiga airport were either cancelled, including Turkish Airlines’ flight from Istanbul, or diverted to Misrata airport.
All hands to the pump!
Several emergency services, police, army and municipal services, including the Libyan Red Crescent (Cross) literally pulled their sleeves and trousers up to either unblock drains or offer help to stranded citizens and drivers. Some cars were pulled and pushed out of the high water by hand. Some drivers were stuck in their semi-floating cars forced to wait until rescue eventually arrived.
Many locals and passers by also took their shoes off, rolled up their trousers and helped.
Municipal and emergency services, including the Water Resources and the Public Utilities Company had their fleets of mobile or stationary water pumps out sucking up resting water at numerous major crossroads, the motorway as well as many smaller sideroads.
Raised level of emergency and readiness
Overnight several government and municipal entities sent out public warnings and raised the level of emergency and readiness. Many national and local emergency committees announced meetings and the implementation of emergency plans.
The Emergency Medicine and Support Center Tripoli Office announced an increase in the level of readiness and announced the full readiness of all emergency and rescue teams.
It announced that it had distributed and stationed its technical units and emergency teams in vital and different points in all the municipalities of Greater Tripoli, to ensure a quick response and immediate handling of any bottlenecks or accidents resulting from rainfall. It also announced that it had to rescue several families and vehicle drivers across the capital throughout overnight operations.
The roof of at least one old colonial era inner city building was reported to have collapsed due to the heavy rain without any injuries or deaths.
Outside Tripoli
The stormy weather affected other coasted western areas including Janzur, Zawia, Surman, Sabrata as well is further inland such as Tarhuna.
Improved weather forecast as the storm moves eastwards
The weather forecast for the rest of the day and tomorrow indicates that the storm has moved eastwards towards eastern Libya.
At the time of writing there were no fatalities reported by any official entity.
