Once-in-200-year rain: historic record broken in Election Day floods

A historic record was broken in the Election Day floods: 35.6 mm of rain fell in ten minutes at Makhtesh Ramon, a once-in-200-year event. The Meteorological Service reported widespread flooding in the Negev, Arava, and Jordan Valley, winds of 104 km/h in the north, and heavy hail that caused damage.

The floods that struck Israel on Election Day were exceptional in their intensity, breaking a historic record for rainfall in a short period in desert areas. According to the Meteorological Service report, 35.6 millimeters of rain fell in just ten minutes at Nahal Gevanim in Makhtesh Ramon, a record since measurements began in the area, surpassing the previous record from 1987 in Jericho (33.4 mm). This is an intensity with a 0.5% probability of occurrence, a once-in-200-year event. The heavy rains caused widespread flooding in the streams of the Negev, Arava, Dead Sea, Judean Desert, and Jordan Valley. The protection reservoir on Highway 90 filled and overflowed. In the north, wind gusts of 104 km/h were measured at Capernaum, and heavy hail up to two centimeters in diameter shattered windshields and damaged apple orchards in the Golan Heights. The Meteorological Service explains that the system formed from a combination of a Red Sea trough, a depression in the Balkans, and tropical moisture.