Eilat Reopens After Rare Desert Storms Cause Severe Flooding
The city of Eilat, located in southern Israel, experienced an unprecedented weather event over the weekend, with a year's worth of rain falling in just a few hours. This rare storm led to significant flooding, effectively isolating the city as all access roads were closed. Eilat Mayor Eli Lankri described the event as a 'stormy weather weekend' with rainfall amounts the city had never seen before. The storm caused the Nekarot reservoir, which had been dry for over a year due to drought, to nearly fill. Major highways, including Highway 90, were closed, cutting off access to and from the city. The storm also affected air travel, as the road to Ramon Airport was blocked. Despite the challenges, the city began reopening roads on Sunday, and efforts are underway to address aviation access issues.