Heavy Rainfall Triggers Widespread Flooding, Road Closures In Iran

Intense rainfall has wreaked havoc in multiple regions of Iran, particularly in Ahvaz and Ilam provinces in the southwest, leading to extensive flooding and the closure of crucial roads.

In response to the alarming weather conditions, the Meteorological Organization issued red flood warnings for seven provinces on Monday. The affected areas are primarily near the Zagros Mountain range, including Khuzestan, Ilam, Fars, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Bushehr, Lorestan, and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces.

Over the past two days, heavy rainfall has disrupted communication routes in cities across Khuzestan, Lorestan, and Ilam, prompting authorities to close schools in these regions. In Ilam, educational institutions were shuttered for the afternoon shift due to continuous rainfall.

Fars News Agency reported a crisis unfolding in Ilam, attributing it to inadequate management at the provincial level. The delayed announcement of the closure of educational centers left students and teachers either stranded in schools and universities or caught in floods on the streets.

As of now, there are no reported casualties from the flooding.

In Ahvaz, floodwaters have reached parking lots and city buses. ILNA news agency reported the overflow of sewage during the recent rains, attributing it to the poor implementation of Ahvaz's sewage system. Local authorities, however, deny the crisis, describing the flooding of streets as "normal."

In Lorestan province, routes to at least 39 villages have been blocked due to flooding, according to the governor's office report. Moreover, snow has started falling in the highlands of Lorestan province.

The recurring pattern of severe weather incidents, coupled with a lack of effective response from the flood warning system and emergency teams, continues to pose a significant challenge with no solution in sight.