Dubai faces massive clean up

Dubai, a city in the desert proud of its modern gloss, faced the towering task on Thursday of clearing its waterlogged roads and drying out flooded homes two days after a record storm saw a year’s rainfall in a day.

Dubai International Airport, a major travel hub, struggled to clear a backlog of flights, and many roads were still flooded in the aftermath of Tuesday’s deluge.

The rains were the heaviest experienced by the United Arab Emirates in the 75 years that records have been kept. They brought much of the country to a standstill and caused significant damage.

Flooding trapped residents in traffic, offices, and homes. Many reported leaks at their homes, while footage circulated on social media showed malls overrun with water pouring from roofs.

In Dubai, the UAE’s most populous emirate, traffic was disrupted even as public transportation services resumed.

Street closures, detours, and partially submerged roads caused heavy congestion, with some cars driving toward oncoming traffic to avoid flooded areas.

A highway through Dubai was reduced to a single lane in one direction, while the main road connecting Dubai with the capital, Abu Dhabi, was partially closed in both directions.

“This was like nothing else. It was like an alien invasion,” said Jonathan Richards, a Dubai resident from Britain.