Saudi Gazette report BURAIDAH — Wadi Al-Rummah residents still remember a disaster that hit the area nine years ago when heavy rain caused the valley to overflow. That crisis caused hundreds to evacuate their houses and damage to their properties, costing them dearly. The disaster was the result of human mistakes that allowed citizens to build houses within the valley area and making the houses susceptible to the dangers of flooding, according to a report in Al-Sharq newspaper. Khalid Al-Reshaidi said this problem occurs every year and residents live in apprehension and panic during the rainfall season. Abdulaziz Al-Qasim said residents are moving out of the valley and are unable to sell their houses as the area has become undesirable and prices have fallen. In the past there were no houses near the wadi, as residents were aware that the valley would overflow, said an elderly citizen. However, he said, recently the Al-Dhahi neighborhood near the wadi has flourished, subjecting residents to great hazards. Qasim Municipality spokesman Yazeed Al-Mehaimeed said rainwater disposal projects are being executed according to a scientific study. The municipality has begun executing some of the projects. The study has analyzed the current situation and suggested appropriate engineering solutions to deal with the problem. He added that the Al-Dhahi neighborhood has a rainwater disposal network but it is not sufficient. The municipality is currently monitoring the locations where rainwater collects and deals with the water according to a temporary emergency plan. The Al-Iskan neighborhood that is also near the wadi had a similar problem, but it was dealt with through a number of projects over the past few years. The highest rainfall the neighborhood was able to withstand was 30 millimeters. He said SR160 million was allocated this year for rainwater disposal networks. Astronomy researcher Dr. Khalid Al-Zaaq said at the beginning of the rainy season, the Kingdom experiences low pressure fronts coming from Africa. This low pressure passes over the Red Sea and is saturated with humidity. If such humidity is met with a cold weather front it will cause rainfall. Geography and antiques researcher Turki Al-Qehaidan said the valley's soil is sandy, endangering nearby neighborhoods. He said a temporary solution was to take necessary precautions during the rainy season and notify the residents of the precautionary measures they should take. He said there are a number of employees experienced in city planning and they should be utilized to develop solutions to such problems. As for permanent solutions, he said a rainwater disposal network is the only available solution, similar to that in Jubail, Yanbu and the Saudi Aramco area. Wadi Al-Rummah is one of the Arabian Peninsula's longest river valleys, at a length of almost 600 km. Now mostly dry, the wadi arises near Al-Abyad Mountain (the White Mountain) in Madinah. It heads toward the northeast, connecting to several smaller wadis, and ends at Thuayrat Dunes of Al-Dahna Desert in Qassim province.
