The water was captured behind flood protection dams in the Saint Catherine area after rainfall on Sunday affected parts of North Sinai, South Sinai, and the Red Sea governorate, according to a report reviewed by Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam.
Authorities said the stored water will help replenish shallow aquifers around Saint Catherine, supporting water supplies for Bedouin communities and protecting infrastructure, including the Abu Redis–Saint Catherine pipeline and nearby energy facilities.
According to the ministry, Self Dam No. 2 collected about 1 million cubic metres of water, while Lake 1 in Saint Catherine stored 600,000 cubic metres. Saal Dam and Al-Asba’iya Dam captured 150,000 and 50,000 cubic metres respectively, with an additional 200,000 cubic metres held in mountain lakes.
Elsewhere in South Sinai, moderate to heavy rainfall hit Tor Sinai and surrounding areas, causing limited runoff in Wadi Me’ir. In North Sinai, rainfall in central areas, including Al-Qasima and Al-Maghara, did not trigger flooding or reach major protection structures such as Al-Rawafa Dam.
In the Red Sea Governorate, the city of Ras Gharib also experienced intermittent rainfall without flooding, with protection infrastructure, including diversion channels, dams, and storage lakes, remaining unaffected.
The storms brought heavy rain and a sharp drop in temperatures in Saint Catherine, triggering flash floods in several valleys before snowfall covered the mountainous city, turning it into what local officials described as a “white fortress”. Authorities said floodwaters flowed through natural channels without causing damage due to existing protection systems.
Emergency measures were activated, with strategic reserves of food, fuel, and electricity generators secured for residents and tourists, and roads linking Saint Catherine to other cities remained open, officials said.
Egypt has expanded flood protection infrastructure in Sinai and the Red Sea region in recent years, building dams, lakes, and diversion channels to reduce flood risks and capture runoff for groundwater recharge in water-scarce areas.
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