Israel’s worst winter of the century is bowing out with a final punch that has knocked down power lines and caused severe wind and flood damage all over the country this week, especially in the north.
Instead of the rain, snow and hail that struck in a succession of storms beginning in December, Israel has been battered since Tuesday by the Sharkiya, a cold, dry easterly wind that attains hurricane force.
The Sharkiya usually lasts from two to 10 days.
The most serious damage was suffered by Tiberias and other communities on the shores of Lake Kinneret, where 60-mph winds whipped up 6-foot waves.
They swept into lakeside restaurants and cafes and flooded the scenic road that parallels the shore.
They also produced at least one fish story.
Mulla Amsalem, a sixth-generation resident of Tiberias who owns a hacienda-style hotel and restaurant on Lake Kinneret, claimed the waves crashed into his hostelry carrying fish with them.
“We didn’t even have to go to the market to buy fresh fish for our menu. They delivered themselves to our kitchen floor,” Amsalem said.
Another suspiciously tall story originated with a Tiberias fisherman who said he was once a deep-water merchant seaman and claimed he saw 30-foot waves on the harp-shaped lake — a height only seldom reached on the North Atlantic.
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.
