Traffic Chaos as Roads Blocked with Rainwater

Traffic came to a standstill in and around Beirut during the morning rush hour on Thursday after heavy rain blocked major roads, trapping commuters in their vehicles.

The slippery roads also caused traffic accidents that left at least six people injured, the Traffic Management Center said.

The heavy traffic was mainly concentrated on the Beirut-Jounieh highway, when rainwater submerged parts of Dbayeh highway, a scene that the Lebanese witness at the start of the rain season in October and November.

But the ministry of public works began removing the dirt and water that swamped the highway, allowing cars to head slowly to Jounieh.

In one neighborhood in Kesrouan, vehicles were almost completely submerged and houses were flooded with rainwater.

The residents of Hayy al-Wadi that lies between Zouk Mosbeh and Zouk Mikhael urged the Civil Defense Department and rescuers to help them.

Capt. Michel Moutran, the founder of the TMC, told Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) that the road closures due to heavy rains require preventive measures by the public works ministry and municipalities.

In a tweet, Moutran stressed that the authorities should work on cleaning drainage systems, activating the role of municipal police and linking the involved agencies with the TMC.

Such “things are difficult to achieve no?” he mocked.

Commuters deluged social media sites with pictures of submerged cars and flooded streets.

They took their rant on the government for failing to act.

An angry man said on Facebook that he was stuck in traffic for two hours.

He said Lebanon was like a “blocked toilet seat.”

But Minister of Public Works and Transport Ghazi Zoaiter told VDL (93.3) that he would investigate the issue.

Thursday's road chaos was reminiscent of the floods that blocked major roads in and around Beirut last December.

G.K.

H.K.