Search Underway After Person Swept Away In Judean Desert Flash Floods

Extensive search efforts were launched Monday evening in the Nachal Meitar area of the Judean Desert after a person was filmed attempting to retrieve a vehicle and is believed to have been swept away by floodwaters.

The ongoing operation includes volunteers from the Etzion–Judea Rescue Unit, officers from the Hebron station of the Judea and Samaria District Police, and a rescue team from the Southern District’s Arad unit, all working to locate the missing individual amid difficult conditions.

Earlier Monday, firefighters from the Lehava unit, assisted by a helicopter near the Binyamin postal junction, rescued two drivers who had become trapped along the roadway. Both were extracted by air and brought to safety.

The incident came as the country was struck by a second powerful winter storm within days, triggering widespread flooding, transportation disruptions, fallen trees, and numerous rescue operations nationwide.

One unusual rescue took place at the Megiddo Junction, where an off-road vehicle became submerged in a fast-moving stream. Four occupants climbed onto the roof of the vehicle and were safely rescued by firefighters using a specialized ladder.

In Bnei Brak, a malfunction at traffic lights at the Jabotinsky–Abuhatzira–Sokolov intersection caused heavy congestion. Police said that “police forces at the scene are directing traffic. There are traffic jams in the area, and drivers are asked to be patient. It is recommended to use alternative routes.”

Elsewhere, a tree collapsed onto a moving vehicle on HaAtzmaut Street in Herzliya. The driver narrowly avoided injury and did not require medical treatment.

Senior MDA medic Nir Keisar said, “We arrived at the scene and saw the vehicle in the middle of the road with the tree on top of it. The driver was walking nearby and told us that while driving, the tree collapsed onto his car. The incident ended miraculously-the driver was not injured and did not require treatment or evacuation.”