By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: A major emergency response effort in Kuwait is underway after several areas around Kuwait were flooded following heavy rains that hit the country on Tuesday. Meanwhile, citizens and residents are preparing for more heavy rains in the coming days. Abdulrahman Al-Fraih, Manager of Organic Agriculture Department, told Kuwait Times the best thing farmers can do is try to build up their soil with microbes and strength the bond, but once the rain hits and finds its way, it’s hard to stop it.

He pointed out that as a farmer, he lost lots of crops during heavy rains in past years. “Heavy rains can be bad because our soil is not strong, so mudslides and erosion can happen. One year it rained really hard and many farmers lost their potatoes. Although rain is good for crops, a large amount can cause problems. Also, some farmers have a hardpan that is very shallow. Hardpan is a very hard layer and you need a machine or drill to break it, so areas can have stagnant water, which can cause fungus to form,” Fraih explained.

In 2018, the Kuwaiti compensation committee revealed completed claims by people that heavy rains destroyed their belongings reached 761, including 181 for property damage, 444 for vehicle damage and 282 for furniture damage. Heavy rain is a bad memory for citizen Saud Al-Enzi, who suffered last winter when his house and car were ruined. “I live in the house that has a ground entrance. The low entrance allowed rainwater in our lobby and ruined all of our furniture, along with destroying my car’s engine, which cost a lot of money to repair,” he said.

Enzi wasn’t the only one who suffered and lost things due to heavy rains. Many citizens and expatriates lost belongings, and their homes were flooded due to the rain. In January, 58.61 mm of rain fell, flooded streets and trapped people inside homes and cars. It led to the flooding of some buildings, schools, universities and facilities, and many roads were closed.

Alaa Nofal, who lost some furniture last year due to heavy rains, affirmed he prepared well this year in order to protect his properties and family. “I secured and sealed the gaps beneath doors and windows with foam blocks. I did the basic preventive maintenance to prevent leaks and protect my home from rain throughout the upcoming months,” he said.

In 1997, heavy rain in Kuwait led to the inundation of many residential areas as a result of a mistake made by the ministry of public works in connecting the sewage network, which led to the death of more than seven people, and work stopped in Kuwait City and suburbs for several days.