A number of governmental and official institutions announced that they have raised their preparedness and emergency levels to advanced stages as the Kingdom is set to be affected by a weather depression in the coming hours.
These institutions confirmed the implementation of a wide range of preventive and field measures to ensure public safety and to deal with any developments that may arise from the weather conditions, amid warnings of flash floods, strong winds, and reduced visibility, alongside repeated calls for citizens to adhere to instructions issued by the relevant authorities.
Ministry of Local Administration
The Ministry of Local Administration announced the highest level of preparedness across all municipalities, joint services councils, and municipal affairs directorates to deal with the weather depression, warning of flash floods and strong winds.
The ministry stated that its technical teams are deployed across various regions of the Kingdom to monitor municipalities’ readiness on the ground, particularly the cleaning of flood channels and valleys, addressing critical hotspots, and ensuring the readiness of equipment and personnel to respond to emergencies during the depression.
It added that risk-level maps, based on the early warning system and meteorological reports, have been circulated to municipalities, joint services councils, and municipal affairs directorates, stressing the need to take preventive measures in line with each area’s specific conditions and to maintain coordination with governors, the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, and Civil Defense.
The ministry warned of nighttime flash floods in valleys and low-lying areas, strong winds, and reduced horizontal visibility due to dust and fog, urging caution, avoidance of crossing flood channels, and securing objects vulnerable to being blown away.
It also confirmed that the central emergency operations room is monitoring weather developments around the clock and coordinating with field teams and 126 emergency rooms distributed across the Kingdom, calling on citizens to comply with instructions to ensure public safety.
Greater Amman Municipality
The Greater Amman Municipality declared a state of emergency (maximum water alert) starting Monday to deal with the weather depression affecting the Kingdom.
Municipality spokesperson Nasser Al-Rahamnneh affirmed the readiness of municipal field teams to respond to reports received by the Tlaa Al-Ali emergency room, urging citizens to contact the unified call center at (102 or 117180) if they notice any issues.
He called on residents to exercise caution, stay away from valleys and low-lying areas, and refrain from randomly disposing of waste, which may block rainwater drainage systems.
Al-Rahamnneh stressed the importance of checking submersible pumps in basements and commercial premises located below street level, and urged shop owners to take preventive measures when storing goods in warehouses and basement floors.
He also called on contractors and owners of construction projects to secure building materials to prevent them from being washed away and blocking drainage lines.
Public Security Directorate
The Public Security Directorate emphasized the importance of adhering to safety instructions and adopting safe behavior to reduce accidents during the weather depression, stressing the need to stay away from valleys, flood channels, and low-lying areas—especially at night—and to avoid attempting to cross water تجمعات either on foot or by vehicle, due to the serious risks to lives and property.
Drivers were urged to exercise caution on rain-affected roads due to slippery surfaces and reduced visibility, and to inspect and maintain rainwater drainage channels to prevent water accumulation around homes. The directorate also stressed the importance of providing water pumps, particularly for homes located below street level.
Regarding heating appliances, the directorate stressed compliance with safety procedures, including not refueling heaters while they are operating or leaving them on during sleep, and ensuring proper ventilation to prevent suffocation or fires.
Citizens were also urged to secure loose objects due to strong winds and gusts accompanying the depression. The directorate affirmed its readiness to respond to any emergency and called on citizens to contact the unified emergency number (911) when needed.
National Center for Security and Crisis Management
The National Center for Security and Crisis Management called on citizens to exercise the highest levels of caution amid the expected weather conditions.
The center urged adherence to preventive guidelines to reduce risks associated with the upcoming weather depression, including avoiding valleys and flood-prone areas, following safety measures when using heating appliances, securing loose objects, ensuring the effectiveness of submersible pumps in low-lying areas such as garages and basements, and parking vehicles in safe locations away from flood channels.
The center stressed the importance of full compliance with these measures to ensure public safety and minimize potential risks arising from unstable weather conditions.
Ministry of Public Works and Housing
The Ministry of Public Works and Housing announced the activation of its medium-level emergency plan starting Monday evening and continuing until the end of the expected weather conditions.
Ministry spokesperson Omar Al-Maharmeh said the decision was made due to the expected impact of the weather depression, accompanied by rainfall and a high likelihood of flash floods in several areas. He noted that the emergency level may be elevated to the highest stage depending on assessments by field directors.
He confirmed full staffing of all concerned personnel during the specified period and instructed field offices and work teams to conduct regular inspections of roads, culverts, and waterways, and to take necessary measures to ensure public safety and traffic continuity.
The ministry emphasized the importance of immediate response to reports and providing the main operations room with updates on any observations or emergencies, in accordance with approved procedures and emergency plans.
The ministry receives citizens’ reports through 15 operations rooms across its directorates around the clock, deploying 110 field teams supported by 135 government vehicles and 20 snowplows, in addition to 190 private-sector vehicles on standby.
Citizens were urged to contact the main operations room via the unified number (106) or (06/5850111), or via WhatsApp at (0780377223), as well as to report directly to governorate emergency rooms through the designated contact numbers.
Ministry of Water and Irrigation
The Ministry of Water and Irrigation announced a state of emergency and full mobilization across all regions of the Kingdom through the Water Authority of Jordan, the Jordan Valley Authority, and affiliated departments and water companies.
The ministry stressed full coordination with relevant authorities, governors, and municipalities, continuous presence in governorate operations rooms, and the provision of equipment and support to address emergency situations.
It highlighted the importance of full readiness to deal with the expected impacts of the weather depression, including rainfall, snowfall, and a noticeable drop in temperatures, and emphasized coordination with contractors to ensure logistical support and preparedness for all scenarios.
The ministry called for prioritizing rapid response to sewage flooding, particularly in low-lying areas, and urged citizens to cooperate by not connecting rainwater downspouts to sewage networks and by reporting any complaints through the unified complaints center (117116).
Ministry of Agriculture
The Ministry of Agriculture issued a series of guidelines and warnings for farmers to take necessary precautions against potential frost, heavy rainfall, and strong winds during the expected weather depression.
The ministry urged farmers to tightly close greenhouses after midday to retain heat, irrigate crops to reduce frost damage, and conduct necessary maintenance to secure plastic covers against strong winds.
Livestock breeders were advised to insulate barns, protect newborn animals from cold and strong air currents, avoid grazing near valleys and flood channels, and ensure proper drainage of rainwater to prevent diseases.
Poultry farmers were urged to provide adequate heating and ventilation, maintain poultry houses, and prevent water intrusion.
Beekeepers were advised to tightly secure hive covers, avoid inspecting hives during rainy or frosty conditions, insulate hives, narrow hive entrances, provide sugar feeding, merge weak colonies, and relocate hives away from flood-prone areas.
The ministry emphasized the importance of regularly following weather bulletins and the official Ministry of Agriculture website, maintaining communication with agricultural extension departments, and documenting farm holdings, as documentation is a prerequisite for accessing ministry services.
— Al-Mamlaka
