As the level of the Kinneret begins its climb upwards, the heavy rains that are being thankfully received in northern Israel are causing difficulties - and worse - in urban areas. Over a foot of rain fell in just about 15 hours in the Zikhron Yaakov area - more than half the yearly amount. Avraham Tzadok was dragged with his car into a reservoir near Atlit in the north and drowned. Several roads in Haifa were flooded, the old Coastal Highway was closed for the same reason, and children on a bus stuck in a small, newly-formed pond and in a flooded nursery were safely rescued by firefighters and others. Eight families were evacuated from the flooded Moshav Tzrufah, just west of Kerem Maharal and south of Atlit, and severe damage was caused there. The heavy rains spread southwards in the afternoon, and will continue to do so over the next two days; snow is falling in the north.
Cloud seeding has been underway since last night over the Kinneret, in an attempt to increase rain there. Mekorot Water Company and its daughter company are sponsoring the operation, which is said to increase rainfall by 10-15%. The level of the Kinneret rose three centimeters this past week, from its record low of 214.88 meters below sea level. Every centimeter represents some 1.7 million cubic meters of water; the government-mandated \"red line\" is 213 meters below sea level, and the optimal level is 208.9 meters below.
Several dozen Egyptian workers on a drilling barge started out last night in Port Said - and found themselves this morning west of Hadera. Their barge came loose when it was in the process of moving from one location to another last night, and began to drift northwards. After it passed Ashkelon and Tel Aviv and could not regain control, Israel was finally called into the picture. An IDF helicopter and plane are now on the scene of the rescue, which was carried out by British forces called in from Cyprus.
Cloud seeding has been underway since last night over the Kinneret, in an attempt to increase rain there. Mekorot Water Company and its daughter company are sponsoring the operation, which is said to increase rainfall by 10-15%. The level of the Kinneret rose three centimeters this past week, from its record low of 214.88 meters below sea level. Every centimeter represents some 1.7 million cubic meters of water; the government-mandated \"red line\" is 213 meters below sea level, and the optimal level is 208.9 meters below.
Several dozen Egyptian workers on a drilling barge started out last night in Port Said - and found themselves this morning west of Hadera. Their barge came loose when it was in the process of moving from one location to another last night, and began to drift northwards. After it passed Ashkelon and Tel Aviv and could not regain control, Israel was finally called into the picture. An IDF helicopter and plane are now on the scene of the rescue, which was carried out by British forces called in from Cyprus.