38,000 Israeli homes remain without power
Netanya and Ra'anana hardest hit cities; more than 300 high power lines downed; 20-year-old worker killed in Pardes Hanna
A day after a powerful rainstorm hit Israel Sunday morning, downing trees and hundreds of power lines, 38,000 households remain without electricity on Monday night.
Many residents in Ra'anana, Netanya, Petah Tikva, Kfar Saba and many towns in the region are making do without current.
Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) reported that about 300 high power lines were damaged in the storm, and thousands of electric cables were torn. "Ra'anana and Netanya were the hardest hit cities. IEC employees are working fast and professionally to fix the damaged electricity grid and to restore power to every customer as soon as possible. Having said that, we apologize to those who have gone a long time without power," an IEC spokesperson said.
IEC warned that people who need life-saving appliances must prepare backup batteries in case of power outages beforehand.
Israel's electric company published an apology letter after complaints arose that company workers were conducting a surprise strike at the height of the storm.
"Crews are working at all the sites, and worked all night in emergency shifts to minimize the damages caused by the storm," the electric company said.
The Israel Airports Authority briefly closed Sde Dov Airport in Tel Aviv on Sunday due to the weather conditions, but reopened it after a few hours. Ben-Gurion International Airport, remained open despite the stormy weather, wind gusts of 75-92 kilometers per hour, rain and hail.
A 20-year old worker was killed in Pardes Hanna on Sunday when a wall collapsed at a construction site because of the strong winds.
At the settlement of Har Brakha, a tent collapsed, moderately injuring a 17-year-old boy and lightly injuring a 20-year-old woman.
Netanya's Fire and Rescue teams were called to several places on Sunday to extract people trapped in vehicles due to flooding and people trapped in elevators because of power outages. A fire also broke out at an electrical closet in an apartment in the city. Fire and Rescue teams also had to deal with fallen trees across the city and scaffoldings that fell near the Carmel Hotel.
