Near Tragedy
Storm Byron Slams Into Beit Shikma, 16 Rescued | WATCH
Sixteen people, including children, were dramatically rescued from severe flooding in Beit Shikma as Storm Byron battered southern Israel. Emergency teams raced to save families trapped in submerged homes.
A tense night gripped residents of southern Israel as heavy rains from Storm “Byron” continued to batter the region. The most dramatic scene unfolded in Beit Shikma, near Ashkelon, where an entire residential area was completely flooded. In what rescue teams described as a near-disaster, 16 people, including children, were pulled from the rising waters and evacuated for medical treatment. Their conditions ranged from mild to moderate.
Rescue teams from United Hatzalah and Magen David Adom were on high alert throughout the night.
Hanan Kadosh, a firefighter and EMT, described the scene:
“We provided initial medical care to eight victims, including four children suffering from hypothermia. They were evacuated to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon in mild condition.”
Emergency response: Reinforcements from across the region
MDA paramedic Yissachar Weiss said that when the emergency calls began arriving at the 101 hotline, it became immediately clear that “this wasn’t an isolated incident but a large-scale flood that could involve many casualties
A centralized treatment station was quickly set up in the community, where medical teams tended to the wounded. Six people in mild condition and a man in his 60s in moderate condition with signs of hypothermia were transported to hospitals. The remaining victims were treated on-site and did not require evacuation.
Meanwhile, firefighters,, assisted by the elite “Lehava” rescue unit and additional emergency teams, continued intensive operations to extract families trapped in flooded homes in Ashkelon and Kiryat Gat. Moshe Weitzman, a senior United Hatzalah medic, said teams remain prepared for additional calls, and ambulances from the Lachish and Shfela districts were dispatched to support operations.
Weather outlook: A pause before more rain
The peak of Storm “Byron” has now passed, and rainfall weakened significantly overnight.
Friday: Rain is expected to taper off later in the day, with temperatures stabilizing around seasonal norms.
Warning: A serious flood risk remains in southern riverbeds; extreme caution is advised.
Shabbat: Mild weather with light, passing showers mainly along the coast and in the Negev.
Monday: A short, single-day rain system is expected to return.