Two Local Officials in Fars Province Confirm the Breaking of Mohammadabad Dam in Jahrom

Two local officials in Fars Province have confirmed that the earthen Mohammadabad dam near Jahrom has broken, prompting the Jahrom governor to warn of the risk of flooding in the areas downstream of the dam. The state news agency IRNA reported on Friday afternoon, February 17, quoting the director general of crisis management in Fars Province, that the Mohammadabad dam in Jahrom County broke due to 'the large volume of water resulting from continuous rainfall.' Hassan Fayyazpour told IRNA that the Mohammadabad dam 'is earthen and does not store a large volume of water compared to large dams. However, necessary measures have been taken to reduce damages in Jahrom, and efforts are underway to mitigate the consequences of this incident.' In this context, Alireza Sahraian, the governor of Jahrom County, also confirmed the breaking of the Mohammadabad dam and urged residents in the downstream areas to take necessary precautions to protect their lives. Mr. Sahraian also reported in an interview with Fars news agency that five villages have been completely evacuated and the communication routes of 20 villages in this county have been cut off, adding that due to the high volume of rainfall in this county over the past few days, which has reached about 400 millimeters, damages have been inflicted on urban and rural residential units in Jahrom. He added: 'So far, a total of 2,750 residential units in the entire county have been damaged, of which 700 are completely destroyed and need reconstruction. About 1,000 units have suffered 30 to 45 percent damage, and 1,100 units have been damaged between 10 to 30 percent.' Simultaneously, Mohammad Reza Rezaei, the representative of Jahrom, also reported in an interview with Fars news agency that nomads along with their livestock have been trapped in the flood and called on local and national officials to visit the flood-affected areas to be informed of the damages and needs firsthand. Meanwhile, the National Weather Organization has predicted increased rainfall and river flooding in the coming days. The organization has also warned of continued rising levels in waterways and flooding of streets. Additionally, with forecasts of increased rainfall in the provinces of Bushehr and Fars, and a gradual increase in rainfall in the provinces of Kerman, Hormozgan, eastern Yazd, northern South Khorasan, and Razavi Khorasan, it has recommended that necessary measures be taken to prevent potential damages. The National Weather Organization has also warned citizens against traveling in mountainous routes in the provinces of Tehran, Alborz, and Gilan over the weekend due to forecasts of snow and blizzards.