Flash floods from heavy rain Tuesday and Wednesday claimed the lives of four people and marooned entire villages in the Western Province. The worst hit were Jizan, Abha, Baha and Abu Reesh. The Civil Defense declared a state of emergency in Jizan after three people died and 17 were stranded by falling debris and heavy flooding in the Al-Reeth Valley. One man was reported dead in the southern Al-Baha region where several vehicles were stranded on the mountain roads because of flash floods. No deaths were reported in the Abha region but there was extensive damage to roads and power generators. Spokesman for the Jizan Region Civil Defense, First Lt. Yahya Al-Qahtan said a car carrying seven people was stranded by heavy rain in Wadi Zaghbah in Al-Aridha. They were rescued by Civil Defense personnel. The floods marooned several other villages in the border belt area. Electricity to the villages was cut for 12 hours.Villagers said bridges must be constructed on the flood-prone roads. Villagers in Liyyah, Qass and Al-Daer were still flood-stranded Thursday. The downpour also caused flooding in several towns in the Jizan area. In Jizan City, an abandoned building collapsed in the blinding rain that caused a water tanker to skid and overturn on to a car, wrecking it. Security agencies were continued their search for a man swept away by the floods in Wadi Al-Juwa near Al-Reeth. He is said to be an illegal resident. The agencies were also searching for a male expatriate who may have drowned in the flooded valley. The scaffolding of a building collapsed due to the strong wind, trapping a family in their home for several hours. Two of the three deaths in Jizan were in the Wadi Al-Juwa area. One body was recovered. Search and rescue teams fear the other body may have been swept out to the sea or was covered in sediment churned up by the raging floodwaters. Traffic on the Maqza' Road was cut off for nearly six hours. Large amounts of dust in the air have decresed visibility. In Jizan's Al-Goba commercial center area on Thursday, a thick dust storm prompted traffic authorities to urge motorists to drive carefully on the coastal roads towards Bisha. Power outages were reported in the districts of Al-Hakkamiah, Al-Dhubayyah and Al-Aridha as well as several other surrounding villages . Sources said the outage was due to a generator damaged by the flooding. In Abha and Khamis Mushayt flash flooding caused a 4-hour power outage on Wednesday. Maintenance crews said lightning might have hit the transformers. Saudi Electricity teams were dispatched to restore power supply. The rains in the Ahad Rufaidah governorate, Khamis Mushayt and Abha were accompanied by hailstones, which residents and tourists watched and enjoyed. Four incidents of stranded people were reported to the Civil Defense office in Al-Baha. Heavy flooding on roads stranded several vehicles. One man died when the trailer truck he was driving skidded and turned over. In the Abu Areesh area, heavy rain caused a power outage and traffic jams. Lack of a sanitary drainage system caused the flood to rise quickly. Road signs, billboards and trees collapsed due to high winds and a generator in the Al-Shimali district exploded. – With reporting by Mansoor Mujalli, Abdul Rahman Shar, Abdullah Aal Gamsha, Majed Aqeeli, Abdoh Alwani and Ali Ammash/ Okaz __
