A1 Volunteers came to help fellow residents

Along with the government authorities and the armed forces, while they cleaned up hundreds of homes, and tidied up the roads, they were joined by children as young as eight and nine, who were also keen to volunteer.

Women also came to North Batinah in the dozens, making food for everyone. On site was also Hasan Al Barmani, the chairman of Khabourah Municipality, who was personally directing operations and bringing in heavy vehicles to fill sand in the potholes that had opened up because of the overflowing wadis.

Sawsan Al Yaqoubi, the vice chairperson for the Directorate of Social Development in Al Khabourah, was also tirelessly working on the ground, organising donations of clothes, electronic supplies, food and all the other items people had provided out of the kindness of their hearts, making sure they reached those who needed it most.

Many volunteers had also arrived before Shaheen struck, because they knew their help would be needed: by the evening of October 2, volunteers had come from other parts of North Al Batinah, where its impact was to be felt fiercest, to help provide food and other essentials to their relatives in Khabourah. Some had been sent by charitable organisations, others out of the goodness of their hearts. Ahead of the cyclone, although we were told to leave by 6:30pm so that they could reach home before the possibility of wadis overflowing with rainwater left them stranded, many of the volunteers were back after just a few hours’ rest.

I remember that at 1am on Sunday, October 3, we went back to Khabourah and headed to the main souq. Although there wasn’t much wind, the constant rain meant the shops were flooded, and there was mud and debris everywhere. All of us rushed to the marketplace to help the shopkeepers clean up their stalls, and try to save as many of their goods as they could.

With every passing hour, the rain came down harder: it was at its peak around 4am, and all of us were required to help the shopkeepers as best as we could. The work only stopped once the sun came up, which is when we finally got time to sleep.

The next day, the fourth, I was back in Khabourah: my relatives had called me to help them. What we saw immediately after Shaheen shocked us. Khabourah was flooded as far as we could see in all directions. There are three wadis in and around the town, and all of these were overflowing.

“This was the main cause of rainwater flooding the ground floors of many, many houses. Those who had a second floor had gone upstairs to escape the rain, while sadly, those who did not, had to climb up onto the roof. So many people’s personal property had been just washed away, while others were deeply submerged in the water. There was debris in the form of collapsed walls, trees and rocks everywhere.

The government agencies were already on the scene: Royal Oman Police choppers were overhead, providing relief supplies and rescuing people, while the Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority had begun clearing debris and pumping out water from homes and streets.

They had been there all night responding to emergency calls, rescuing people from homes, and helping people stranded in wadis. At that time, it was hard to find even one family that did not need help: one of my relatives’ neighbours had gone to help his cousin who had gotten stuck in a wadi.

The force of the current was so strong that he too was going to be washed away, and he survived by holding onto a wall. He waited there for five hours before he was rescued. Another person’s home had been completely washed away: all that was left of his house was the gate to his compound. He was shell shocked over what had just happened.

Another person’s home just collapsed from underneath him: it was like he was experiencing an earthquake. He too has lost everything, but his story is that of very many people who have suffered from cyclone Shaheen.

The water was flowing so furiously that it also entered the drainage system and brought up sewage into people’s homes. You can imagine the smell and condition after this has happened. The emergency services are dealing with this as well, because it could cause a lot of problems if not addressed.

At least three villages on the outskirts of Khabourah have been completely washed away in the cyclone: there is no trace of them. The people living there have lost all their possessions, their livestock, and their homes, and are distraught.

But apart from the physical damage, the psychological damage has been too much for some to bear. There was an Omani man who wanted to communicate with us how he felt, but he was so overcome with emotion that he was shaking continuously.

Many women and children were crying, because they have never seen anything like this, but the arrival of the volunteers who came to aid their countrymen and fellow residents has probably provided them the biggest relief to their mental state.

It will take time for our homeland to recover from cyclone Shaheen, but what we have seen is that if we all work together, we will get there faster. Let us not forget that we are all here to help each other. It is extremely important to stay united during a time like this.