Snow in the Middle East! December 2013

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Winter snowstorm hits parts of Palestine, Israel, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. Hebron got almost 30 cm which is like almost a foot deep - reports say this is the heaviest snowfall since the 1950s. Schools and many businesses are closed today in the West Bank....

[LizzieBee 25]

Yep, my fiance told me they had snow in Alexandria. CRAZY!

[allyinchicago 8]

my husband said everything is shut down in ramallah

[~PalmTreeGurl~ 154]

Beautiful! Adam was shocked about the news of snow there and in Alexandria! He's been asking every week when we will be getting snow down south in Houston... as if I have a magic ball lol It would be nice down here though, we're feeling a little left out.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

They've gotten almost 2 feet of snow in Ramallah and almost 3 feet in Hebron. Today is the weekend, but people are expecting schools and most businesses to be closed tomorrow as well.

Ramallah dressed in white - these pics were taken this morning:

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

These pics were taken yesterday near Bethlehem:

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

The snow pictures are beautiful, but this storm is creating some serious problems -- according to Ma'an News, 60% of the West Bank is currently without power.

The majority of the power line malfunctions are located inside Israel on lines leading to the West Bank, but Israeli authorities are not fixing the malfunctions while also prohibiting the access of Palestinian crews to the areas.

http://maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=656956

This storm is yet another disaster for Gaza, already suffering from extreme power outages and shortages of fuel and other necessities. Now, thousands have been flooded out their homes:

The Gaza Strip was pounded by fierce winds and rain again on Friday as flooding reached dangerous levels in many areas, forcing thousands to flee their homes amid widespread power outages as temperatures plunged into the single digits.

The flooding was worst in the northern Gaza Strip, where hundreds fled their homes and water levels reached 40-50 cm in some parts, forcing residents to use boats to navigate their neighborhoods.

http://maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=656905

Some video of the situation in Gaza:

[Mithra 1,185]

Beautiful photos! I can see how this would cause problems though. :/

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

The flooding in Gaza is really bad - parts are under 6 feet of water, trapping many people inside their homes. The worst conditions are in and around the refugee camps in the northern part of the Strip. More than 5,000 Gazans have been evacuated - Palestinians and UNRWA workers are having to use rowboats to get to them. People there are already dealing with daily 12-hour blackouts, because the power plant can't operate due to the shortages of fuel reaching the Strip.

Hebron is under 3 feet of snow; Ramallah has about 2 feet. Most roads are still blocked with snow, electricity is still out across much of the West Bank - only a lucky few have private generators. All schools and most businesses and government offices were closed again today... we'll see what happens tomorrow, if they can get the power back up and some of the roads cleared.

Here are some fresh pics taken today in Amman, which received just under a foot of snow:

[salboreni 12]

My husband is also in the West Bank..in Burin. They have no power, and now they are so very low on water...their water is in the tank on the roof, and they can't get up there. I hope this ends soon for them all.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

My husband is also in the West Bank..in Burin. They have no power, and now they are so very low on water...their water is in the tank on the roof, and they can't get up there. I hope this ends soon for them all.

A lot of people were still without power today, and it's another night of freezing cold.

Kfar a Deek (northwest of Ramallah):

And another from Amman: