Amid heavy rain in the country on Saturday, the condition of an elderly man was critical, as he apparently slipped and fell in the central city of Ramle.
The 85-year-old man collapsed in a flooded area and was taken to the Shamir Medical Center in Beer Yaakov where he was put on a ventilator.
Paramedics believed he lay in a puddle for about half an hour before being discovered, not breathing and without a pulse.
Medics initially managed to revive him, but he was suffering from hypothermia.
Roads were closed in several coastal cities, including Holon, Bait Yam and Netanya, due to severe floods on Saturday.
The heavy rain came after a particularly dry period of winds and dust, which blocked drains. However, Israelis have long complained that the drainage infrastructure to deal with the rain is poor.
Rain continues: Netanya also floods@VeredPelman pic.twitter.com/lripXu7VMm
— news here (@kann_news) November 20, 2021
The Ynet news site said a woman had to be rescued from her vehicle in the coastal city of Netanya as the water level rose there. The underground parking lot of at least one building in that city was flooded.
Several rivers flooded the Negev and Arava deserts, while hail fell in the southern city of Kiryat Malakhi.
Israelis visit Palmachim Beach, on a winter’s day, November 20, 2021 (Yosi Aloni / Flash 90)
Male Gilboa recorded the highest level of rain, with about 49 mm (about two inches) of rainfall since the storm began on Friday.
Officials warned people to stay away from the riverbed and Tel Aviv beaches were closed due to water pollution concerns.
Two vehicles skidded off the road on Friday near the northern city of Tiberias, injuring nine people, including three children, with minor injuries.
Streets flooded in southern Israel on November 19, 2021 (screen grab/ears)
The rain is likely to weaken by Monday, at which point temperatures will begin to rise again with unseasonably warm weather next weekend.
hot temperatures and dry conditions The past months have been a far cry from last year, when Israel experienced wettest november Since 1994, there has been widespread flooding and damage to several coastal cities.
Last January, a couple died during a heavy storm in Tel Aviv after they were trapped in a flooded elevator. the officials said The lift got stuck in the basement, possibly due to a power outage. Residents told Hebrew media that they heard an explosion from the elevator and called police, but it took 30 to 60 minutes for rescue services to arrive. By then the couple had drowned.
