It was apocalyptic: Co Down teacher living in Dubai describes flood chaos

City was hit with a deluge of rain earlier this week

A CO Down woman living in Dubai as the city experienced the worst weather in 75 years has described the “apocalyptic” scenes she encountered as water pooled around her apartment and the “sky lit up like a firework show”.

Grace Simpson (27), who is originally from Holywood, has been living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where she works as an English teacher, since last August.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph from Dubai, she has described the ordeal of living in the city amidst the extreme weather and flash floods earlier this week, which have killed one person, caused roads to close and effectively shut down Dubai’s airport, the second busiest in the world.

Videos from the city also show flood waters engulfing streets, shopping malls and cars submerged completely underwater.

Twenty people have also died as a result of similar weather impacting neighbouring Oman.

“I’ve been out here since last year and it’s normally a very smooth ride living here,” Grace said.

“The sun shines, the schools are well set up, and generally when it rains it can cause a bit of a stir because it rarely happens.

“We knew rain was coming, and we had set up online learning for the kids in the schools, but in my previous experience with the rain here it’s just been one downpour and that’s it.

“I would send photos back home and tell my parents I was off school because of rain; it became a bit of a joke.”

Grace said the announcement about incoming rain on Monday felt “slightly different” compared to other occasions, but said she didn’t expect what ultimately happened.

“[Tuesday] morning was quite calm, there wasn’t much going on, and I had friends asking when the rain was coming, if at all. But we spoke too soon, because at about 2pm the sky just went black. It was like it was night time, and this strange green light appeared, like an alien invasion on the horizon. I had never seen anything like it before in my life.

“Then suddenly we were just in the eye of the storm. The winds started whooping and the noise of the thunder was deafening. The sky was lit up like a firework show. The rain was just pounding everywhere at a volume I have never seen.”

The English teacher said she recalls just standing at the window of her apartment in “complete shock” at what was happening around her, before realising the water outside was quickly making its way inside.

“I looked down and it was just pooling at my feet,” she continued. “Then the level of the water started rising, it started to pour through my plug sockets while outside was going nuts. I had building staff at my door who were concerned about electric faults. It was at that moment I realised I could actually be in danger.”

Grace, whose father is BBC Newsline reporter Mark Simpson, said she had a “fight or flight” moment after she realised debris from the area surrounding her apartment was “flying around” outside.

“Obviously there are lots of construction sites around in Dubai and I was so concerned something was going to land on my apartment,” she said.

Videos shared on social media show objects including furniture being swept up from balconies in the apartment-heavy city, with authorities warning residents and tourists to stay indoors during the weather warnings.

“I had this moment where I grabbed my passport, stuck my trainers on and tried to leave, but I got to floor one and it was completely submerged. I realised I was literally trapped in the building,” Grace added.

“I went back to my apartment, pulled a blanket over me and just hoped that nothing was going to hit the apartment and nothing bad was going to happen. Fortunately, not long after, it started to subside.”

Throughout the ordeal, Grace said all she could think of was her family back in Northern Ireland, who would be witnessing the scenes from the UAE on the news and would be worrying about her.

“I did realise I was away from home. My mum and my dad think I’m a baby, not a 27-yearold woman,” added Grace, laughing.

“They were funny and told me I should be used to the rain. I said: ‘Well, it’s a fair bit more.’”

As of Thursday, the weather has calmed, according to Grace, who described the current conditions in Dubai as “beautiful, with the sun shining like nothing has happened”.

“The roads around me are still completely submerged underwater; I can’t drive anywhere. I could go on foot, but I’ll not get far,” she said.

“Cars are trapped. And they have these huge, almost petrol lorry-type, vehicles on the road which are currently sucking up all the water.

“I’m just really fortunate, I don’t have too much damage, but it was apocalyptic.”