The Qatar Foundation’s response to the havoc caused by the rainstorm that dumped on the Doha metro area on Thursday has been simple: getting back to normal as soon as possible. 

Doha was brought to a standstill due to the downpour that  flooded roads, uprooted trees and halted traffic and other activity in and around the city – a weather pattern uncharacteristic to the normal clear sky, scorching sun and intense heat. Impacts on Education City included fallen trees and pavement obstructions.

“QF has worked to support all facilities impacted by flooding and leaks while conducting a large clean-up to remove fallen trees and debris,” Micheal McDonough, the director of Health, Safety, Security and Environment at NU-Q told The Daily Q. 

The storm started in mid-afternoon with a light drizzle. Students hung out outside their dormitories, enjoying the rare sensations of rain and a cooler temperature before  the weather turned ferocious. 

An alert was sent asking students, faculty and staff to seek immediate shelter and not leave until the storm passed.

“There are many fallen trees and flying debris. Please shelter in place until the weather system passes,” the NU-Q alert sent at 4:34 p.m. read. 

Flying debris and uprooted trees blocking the tramway halted normal operations, forcing students to rely on Uber as the only mode of transport. 

“I had to go to Msherib. As the rain intensified, my Uber was partially submerged, which is when I received the alert message,” said Sheikh Aoun Siddique, a NU-Q journalism junior. 

“It took us almost 20 minutes to get out of the flooded area,” Siddique added. “After 40 minutes we had only covered 3 km. So I asked the driver to drop us off at the closest metro station, which I felt was a safe option.” 

Safety wasn’t the only factor, as the cost of Uber transport rose significantly. Mehul Bhattacharya, an NU-Q communication sophomore had to commute amid the downpour. 

“One of my friends was drenched in the rain, and we needed to leave the university for the dorms to ensure he wouldn’t get ill,” Bhattacharya said. “The normal amount from university to dorms is usually in the ballpark of 8 riyals, but we ended up paying 22.”

Once the storm was at bay, the work of getting back to normal across EC began.

The primary focus has been to clear debris from walkways. Fallen trees and branches obstructing pavements have been chopped down and cleared. 

However, some trees hit by the storm are still covering parts of the road, blocking cycle lanes and creating hazardous conditions.

Oxygen Park, a regular hangout spot in EC, was not spared, with some trees impacted.

However, EC has taken measures to shore up trees in heavily trafficked areas so the trees don’t fall.

Qatar Foundation staff have been monitoring the condition of affected trees across EC and deciding whether to trim them, chop them down or leave them as they are. 

Flatbed trucks have been filled with chopped timber from the uprooted trees.

While the response to the crisis has been quick, some areas of EC are still impacted. Some sidewalks and bicycle lanes that are not heavily used had still not been cleared as of Monday. 

Some walkways have thorny branches protruding and scattered across the pavement. 

Bicycles and electric scooters are two of the most popular methods of transportation used by students in EC.

However, uncleared debris and thorns in bicycle lanes pose a risk of flat tires..  

Using the main roads seems the safest and most convenient option at present, as they are clear.

The rain also created a pond near Oxygen Park in Education City. Some areas have accumulated so much water that it has yet to evaporate under the Doha sun. 

To drain excess water, hydropumps have been installed to channel it to a designated flood pond near Gate 3.

A number of flood ponds were constructed, in addition to improved maintenance to ensure drains are clear and connection to the Ashghal main city drainage network, following the last major flood that occurred in 2018, McDonough said.

While most EC buildings are functioning normally, the Multaqa basement, which houses sporting halls, was shut down for maintenance after the downpour. 

A Multaqa gym was reopened by Sunday, when a basketball match was held between GU-Q and TAMU-Q.

However, changing rooms, shower spaces and other gym areas still remain inaccessible.

Tents for Torba market, which were heavily damaged by the storm, have also been restored and lit up. 

The storms might have calmed, but weather forecasts predict that Qatar is expected to have light to moderate rainfall throughout the week.