Seven huge pumps with a daily capacity of 140,000 cubic meters are racing against time to lower the level of the estimated 1.8 million cubic meters of water following the flood, an official at the dam site told Arab News.

Al-Samir residents were alarmed Saturday evening by a sudden rise in the water level held back by the dam and in groundwater in nearby districts. They called for urgent help from the authorities.

Fresh paths are also being made to enable access for heavy machinery and rescue vehicles to the dam site. An eighth pump will shortly be installed to increase the pumping capacity to 190,000 cubic meters a day.

Arab News learned that after bringing the water level in the dam down municipal workers will start emptying the water collected on one side of a protective barrier where the water level has been rising. The 9.2-meter high protective barrier has a capacity to hold back 8,844,388 cubic meters of rainwater.

According to a bulletin issued by the Civil Defense on Sunday, the number of casualties in last week’s flood remained 10 while three people are still missing. While 114 were admitted to hospitals for various injuries, 100 have been discharged. The bulletin also added that 4,350 families have been provided shelter following the flood.

Jeddah Mayor Hani Abu Ras inspected Sunday the ongoing cleaning operations in Al-Nakheel district and the progress in the repair of damages caused by Wednesday’s flood in the Um Al-Khair neighborhood.

Most underpasses that had been flooded have reopened.

The statement said the draining operations of stagnant water in major streets have been completed. Currently cleaning operations are being undertaken in Al-Naseem district and Hail Street while pumping is under way in the school zone close to the Qasr Al-Madinah hotel in Al-Baghdadiah.

The center said the municipal committee dealing with rain-related problems is meeting every day to evaluate the progress of cleaning and draining operations.

The statement added that efforts are also under way to repair street lights that were damaged in the Baghdadiah and Al-Samir, neighborhoods close to the service road parallel to the Haramain Expressway

The statement said the municipality has deployed 80 field teams with 2,800 workers to repair the flood damages in the city. While the first priority is to open roads to normal traffic, repair work in inner districts is being undertaken in collaboration with the Civil Defense and the traffic department.

The municipality has also been filling the countless potholes on roads and placing warning signals at locations where work has not yet completed.

Health teams have also been visiting the families in the affected areas and supplying them with preventive medicines.