The city of Tabuk flooded during three days of heavy rains. The town in northwest Saudi Arabia usually gets only one-quarter inch of rain in January. Snow and rain fell in the area earlier this month.
While the light snow of three weeks ago sent families outdoors to enjoy the novelty, the heavy rains have caused hardship for the area. 659 families had to be evacuated as flood waters entered homes and swamped cars and trucks.
As the some of the water recedes, cars are being found buried in mud where the flood pushed the vehicles around and rolled some of them over.
Desert soils are slow to absorb water. When more than the average amount of rain falls in a desert, flash flooding can occur. The middle east has been experiencing unusually high amounts of precipitation this winter.
The video below is about ten minutes long and shows the area around Tabuk and inside the city. There is no narration, only a song in Arabic.
Tabuk on a dry day photo via Shutterstock
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