Northern Jordan Valley — Severe weather conditions that affected parts of the Northern Jordan Valley District on Tuesday caused damage to the agricultural sector and residents’ property. Crops, particularly corn and citrus, were damaged by strong winds and rainfall, while rainwater flooded several homes. Power outages were also reported in some areas, raising concerns among farmers and residents about further losses.
Farmers said agriculture is one of the Northern Jordan Valley’s key economic activities, benefiting from climatic and environmental conditions that support the production of various vegetables, citrus fruits and other crops. As a number of families rely on farming as a source of income, protecting the sector and reducing the losses it faces is a priority for farmers and relevant authorities.
They added that dealing with weather-related damage should not be limited to responding after incidents occur. Instead, advance plans should be developed that take into account the area’s agricultural and residential nature and strengthen the readiness of relevant authorities to deal with severe weather, while providing farmers with the necessary support and guidance.
They also stressed the need for greater coordination among agricultural, service and infrastructure authorities to ensure rapid access to affected areas, establish priorities according to the scale of damage, and protect crops and property as much as possible.
According to Abdul Rahman Al-Ghazawi, head of the Jordanian Agricultural Cooperative Citrus Association, the weather conditions caused damage to a number of crops, particularly corn, which was knocked to the ground by strong winds. Citrus trees were also affected, with leaves and fruit falling from the trees.
Additional Burden on Farmers
Al-Ghazawi said the damage represents an additional burden for farmers who are waiting for the harvest season to recover the production costs they have incurred over the past several months, amid challenges facing the agricultural sector, including rising production costs and farmers’ declining ability to absorb further losses.
He called for specialized technical teams to be dispatched to the affected areas to conduct urgent field assessments, document damage to agricultural crops and estimate the scale of losses, paving the way for the necessary measures to be taken and for affected farmers to receive fair compensation.
Al-Ghazawi stressed the importance of dealing with the damage based on clear field assessments that determine the extent of losses and farmers’ needs.
Farmer Ayman Abu Zeina also called for compensating farmers whose crops were damaged by the weather, stressing the importance of the agricultural season to them as a source of income used to cover production expenses and financial obligations.
Abu Zeina said damage to crops at this stage could affect farmers’ income and their ability to continue working in agriculture, making it necessary to support them and provide assistance to reduce the losses they have suffered.
Farmer Khaled Al-Rayahneh called for a clear seasonal plan to deal with severe weather, warning that a lack of preparedness could lead to major losses in the agricultural sector.
He stressed the importance of strengthening preventive measures and providing farmers with guidance on ways to protect crops and reduce damage caused by winds and rain, in addition to establishing clear mechanisms for a rapid response when exceptional weather conditions occur.
The impact of the weather was not limited to farms but extended to several residential areas in the Northern Jordan Valley District, where rainwater flooded residents’ homes, raising concerns about the safety of property and household belongings.
The weather conditions coincided with power outages in some areas, adding to residents’ difficulties and highlighting the need for a rapid response to water accumulation and faults affecting essential services.
Infrastructure Problems
Residents said the damage to homes and crops underscored the importance of monitoring the situation of affected residents and farmers, assessing the extent of the damage on the ground, draining water from affected locations and addressing infrastructure problems that could contribute to recurring flooding.
They also called for restoring electricity to affected areas in accordance with the necessary technical procedures and urged authorities to inspect damaged homes, document losses, and address accumulated water and flood channels to help protect homes and property from recurring damage during future rainfall.
Citizen Mohammad Al-Ali said rainwater flooded homes, causing hardship for residents as water entered their houses. He stressed the importance of taking measures to prevent similar damage during future weather events.
A resident identified as Khalda said rainwater flooded several homes, increasing affected families’ concerns about the safety of their members and household belongings. She stressed the need to find solutions to rainwater drainage problems and prevent floodwaters from flowing toward residential areas.
Hamza Al-Momani, head of the Tabqat Fahl Municipal Committee, said municipal crews have been working around the clock in the field to deal with the effects of the weather and remove obstacles caused by rainfall and floods, ensuring roads remain open and facilitating the movement of residents and vehicles.
Al-Momani said the municipality used a grader belonging to the Services Directorate to help reopen roads and remove accumulated obstacles, particularly on main roads and in areas affected by flooding.
He added that heavy rainfall and hail caused several trees to fall or break in the Sheikh Hussein Bridge area, including one tree that fell onto a vehicle. He said teams were continuing to monitor affected locations and deal with the consequences of the weather.
Meanwhile, crews from Muadh bin Jabal Municipality dealt with damage caused by the weather. Municipality head Mutasim Al-Omari said a tree fell onto an electricity pole in the Waqas area, resulting in a temporary power outage.
Al-Omari said the municipality was coordinating with Civil Defense and the electricity company to address the damage and restore power to the area. He added that a backhoe loader was operating at the site to help remove obstacles.
He said municipal crews would continue removing accumulated rocks and mud resulting from floodwater and addressing the effects of rainfall on roads and public facilities.
Al-Omari also confirmed that roads falling under the jurisdiction of Muadh bin Jabal Municipality remained open, while field teams continued to monitor conditions and respond to any developments resulting from the weather.
The Northern Jordan Valley Agriculture Directorate called on farmers affected by strong winds and hail to visit the directorate and submit requests for damage assessments. Specialized committees will then conduct field inspections of affected farms and officially document the damage.
The directorate said applications would be accepted for one week only, from October 28 until November 3.
It urged affected farmers to visit the directorate within the specified period to ensure their losses are registered and allow the specialized committees to inspect the affected farms and document the extent of damage caused by the weather.
Source: Al-Ghad
