Arabian desert flooded and camels ended up neck deep in water

Mekunu, the most harmful cyclone registered in southern Oman, caused a terrible flood in a city where it hardly rained three times in three years. In just one day, the city was almost completely covered by water.

The weekend of May 26-27 the tropical cyclone reached the Arab country and its neighbor, Yemen, and what is normally a desert was suddenly underwater, a sight that surprised the entire world, according to Debate.

A great area of the desert of Rub al Jali was flooded, and where used to be only sand, people were swimming, as the photos and videos made by the local population show.

Even the camels, known for their endurance in dry and hot environments, were spotted crossing flooded areas with the water up to their necks. These, among other images, have gone viral in social media.

But what seems like a curiosity is a serious natural disaster that has taken the lives of at least 13 people, causing a great harm to the city of Salalah, Oman’s third largest.

Another 30 people, at least, were reported missing by the authorities in their first efforts to measure the tragedy.

Parts of Salalah, home to over 200,000 people, were left without electricity as soon as the cyclone touched the land.

Most of the area’s roads were destroyed or covered by water, and the strong winds blew hundreds of light poles and roofs.

The area received the equivalent of almost three times the local annual rainfall, with a total of 10.9 inches of water, more than what Omani meteorologists predicted.

The winds reached speeds of 124 miles per hour, according to India Meteorology Department, which classified Mekunu as a ‘very severe cyclonic storm.’

Before hitting Oman, the storm struck the Yemeni island of Socotra, a world natural heritage site recognized by Unesco, forcing 500 families to evacuate. Read more on our Twitter account @amomama_usa