Three days of record rainfall brought temporary relief from the water shortage but was far from enough to erase the ravages of chronic drought in recent years, experts said Thursday.
Ten years of rainstorms of equal intensity would be required to wipe out the deficit of Israel’s “water bank,” according to Water Commissioner Dan Zaflasky and Yaniv Naftali, a spokesman for the Agriculture Ministry.
They pointed out that while the recent downpour increased by 9 inches the level of Lake Kinneret, the country’s largest natural reservoir, they would not feel secure until the level rises by 10 feet.
Israelis continued to clean up the damage done by 72 hours of incessant rain, hail and lightning. But they have still not found the bodies of two soldiers, missing after their truck was caught in a flash flood in the Greater Tel Aviv area Tuesday.
The Israel Defense Force identified them as Sgt. Maj. Nathan Russo, 38, of Kfar Sava and Cpl. Amir Shaki, 19, of Ramat Gan.
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