The flood, described as the worst to hit Jeddah in more than 30 years, claimed the lives of 130 people and caused damage estimated at more than SR1 billion.

A report issued by Iktifa, a Jeddah-based women’s charity, identified 821 cases of acute disease and poverty among people affected by the flash floods.

Omaima Jazani, a Saudi mother of four who lives in the Quwaizah district east of Haramain Expressway, said she was left helpless after the floods ravaged her home.

“The memory of last year’s tragedy is fresh in my mind. I still remember the sound of the flash floods, the screams of people crying for help and the image of damaged property on the street,” said Jazani.

She added that evidence of destruction from last year’s floods still lingers and that she fears that robust measures have not been taken to prevent a recurrence of what happened last year.

“I’ve read a lot about these precautionary measures that are being taken by the municipality to protect east Jeddah this year. We, however, doubt these measures are effective. For some reason, we simply don’t trust municipal officials,” said Jazani.

Ali Al-Shehri, a Saudi man who lives in the Al-Harazat area in east Jeddah, said he often remembers the tragedy of 2009. When the floods hit, he was away from home and this year he plans to leave home as soon as he sees clouds.

“I’ll live with my relatives during the rainy season and monitor the floods from there. The mayor of Jeddah toured the eastern side of the city and talked about a number of precautionary measures that they have taken to prevent the floods. He announced that they’ve finished 90 percent of the project and promised to complete it within one month. This made me feel optimistic, but my neighbors and relatives do not feel the same,” he said.

The house of Fawqia Hasan, a Saudi mother of six who lives in the Kilo 6 district, was surrounded last year by rainwater for more than 17 hours.

She called the Civil Defense and Saudi Red Crescent for help, but there was no response.

“I woke up in the early morning to see that sewage water had entered the ground floor. I was unable to get out. My infant baby was crying and needed milk, but I couldn’t feed her because the kitchen was destroyed. I called the Civil Defense and the Saudi Red Crescent but there was no reply. This year, I’m planning to sleep on the first floor. All furniture and food will be taken upstairs,” she said.

A committee charged with dealing with floods at Jeddah Municipality held a meeting headed by Deputy Mayor Khaled bin Fadl Akeel to review the municipality’s work.

Officials at the municipality have also announced that they have made a list of sites where stagnant water collects and specified four sites that need particular attention, identified equipment necessary to dispose of rain water, and ensured equipment is at hand for clean-up projects and sewage disposal.

The municipality will also be coordinating with police, security patrols, the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment, Traffic Police, the Civil Defense, the Ministry of Water and Electricity, the Ministry of Transport, and the Saudi Electricity Company.