Flood-warning sirens installed in Jeddah

MAKKAH:The director of Civil Defense in Makkah Province said a project to install about 192 emergency sirens throughout Jeddah has started and will be finished in six months.
Gen. Jameel Abraeen warned that in Makkah city there are 23 critical points where rainwater accumulates. He said his department would not be responsible for potential hazards at 40 residential plans in Makkah, on which the department approached the mayor's office two years ago.
“Recently we detected four residential plans that are located in the flood course east of Makkah and we warned against building at these locations. This was submitted to the governor’s office,” he said.
“We also warned about 40 residential plans located in flood courses all over Makkah. These locations are categorized into three types: Some of them are populated, some are approved but not yet constructed and some are unplanned and is managed by brokers.”
He added: “Our job is done by detecting the locations and submitting the reports about the hazards.”
He said that projects to protect Jeddah from floods are overseen by the province’s governor and will be the most important factor in protecting the city; especially the ones in the eastern side where five dams were completed and others are under construction.
“The current problem is stagnant rainwater pools in many Jeddah districts, several of which are in need of new drainage projects,” he said. “Flood warning sirens were installed in 33 districts as an experiment of the new flood sensors installed at dams in the valleys of Qous, Mathoub, Ghulail and Al-Asla. Other 84 emergency sirens were installed in the city, of which 25 are mobile and 59 stationary ones, connected to sensors installed at valleys at the eastern part of the city. Their sound range covers 33 districts, he added.
He said hearing the sirens in districts clearly or partly depends on several factors like the siren’s location, wind and noise. There are three internationally approved tones for proximity of hazards’ occurrence, the occurrence of hazards and the end of danger.
He said the system also gives the ability of sending live or pre-recoded voice messages.