Flash floods hit parts of Southern Israel in the aftermath of severe rain in early May, resulting in several deaths and causing severe damage. This is following the wildfires that impacted parts of Jerusalem in late April. The flooding led to road closures on several roads.
“Parts of southern Israel were flooded on Sunday (May 4), amid heavy rains and strong winds that picked up strength in the afternoon, leading police to close several main routes to traffic, including the main entrances to the southern city of Eilat,” The Times of Israel reported.
In the southern city of Dimona, heavy thunderstorms also brought hail, the outlet said. Authorities warned people not to enter the flooded areas.
Several news outlets reported that the flooding caused major damage to the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve in the Judean Desert. “Within a short time, approximately 35 millimeters (1.4 inches) of rain fell over the reserve, triggering a sudden and violent surge of water.
The flooding resulted in massive erosion and widespread destruction. A preliminary assessment by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority revealed significant damage across the reserve:
Numerous hiking trails were either destroyed or heavily impacted, the ancient synagogue was flooded and will require preservation and restoration work, and infrastructure such as footbridges, handholds, and signage was ruined,” reported Israel National News on israelnationalnews.com.
Ein Gedi is located about 55 miles from Gaza, where the Israeli government is continuing its invasion and assault and committing atrocities against the Palestinians.
The flooding caused infrastructure damage to Ein Gedi. “Ein Gedi is considered one of Israel’s most significant and unique natural areas, due to its rare combination of arid desert landscapes, flowing freshwater springs, and lush plant life. The reserve is a natural oasis, home to a variety of rare plant and animal species—some of them endangered.
The delicate ecological balance that has existed there for thousands of years has been severely disrupted by the unusual flood event, with restoration potentially taking years to fully return the area to its original state,” noted israelnationalnews.com.
The floods came on the heels of a wildfire that also struck Israel. According to reporting by Somoy Full News, a Bangladeshi news channel, “In late April 2025, a massive wildfire erupted in the hills near Jerusalem, marking one of the most severe fires in Israel in recent years.”
“The blaze scorched approximately 5,000 acres of land, leading to the evacuation of several communities and the temporary closure of the main highway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem,” noted en.somoynews.tv on May 6.
The fire caused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare a state of emergency, the UK-based media outlet, The Independent, reported. “The blaze erupted in the hills west of Jerusalem on Wednesday (April 30), starting in the Eshtaol Forest near Mesilat Zion and rapidly spreading due to high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds,” the outlet stated.
“This is perhaps the largest fire ever in the country,” Jerusalem’s district fire department commander Shmulik Friedman told reporters, noted independent.co.uk.
The Associated press reported that at one point, the wildfire shut down the main highway that linked Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and sent at least a dozen people to the hospital. Several countries had to be called in to help battle the fires, AP reported. According to multiple media outlets, the fire was the most significant to strike Israel in at least 10 years.
“The fire broke out around midday in the hills outside Jerusalem on Wednesday (April 30), fueled by hot, dry conditions and fanned by strong winds that quickly whipped up the flames burning through pine forests.
Several communities were evacuated as a precaution as the smoke turned the skies over Jerusalem gray,” AP reported. Several countries sent planes to battle the fires, including Italy, Croatia, Spain, France, Ukraine, and Romania, the new service noted.
“Israel often sees fires in the summertime, but such strong fires this early in the year are unusual. Many of Israel’s forests are planted rather than natural. One of the organizations that manages Israel’s forests said that the fires had perfect conditions to spread:
A winter with little rain, hot and dry weather, and exceptionally strong winds that are shifting direction constantly,” AP reported. The source of the fires is under investigation, although according to Al Jazeera, several people have been arrested on suspicion of arson.