A sudden cloudburst poured a flood of water into portions of the Negev last night and temporarily severed communications between the southern port of Eilat and the northern section of Israel.
While the rest of Israel enjoyed clear weather, cascades poured down from the hills and washed away roads, covered fields with mud and flooded the Timnah copper mines.
Several settlements sent emergency calls for help. Army rescue vehicles were rushed to the scene during the night to pull marooned cars out of the mud.
The biggest question was the extent of damage to the copper mines. Pending a determination of how much damage had been done, mine workers were told not to come to work until further notice.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
