Heavy Rain in Gaza Floods Shelters and Disrupts Power Supply

Heavy rain in Gaza in November 2026 has flooded makeshift shelters and damaged electricity systems, and the local utility has suspended service at some of its branches. Al Jazeera reported that tents and rooms in the Bureij refugee camp, in central Gaza, were flooded.

The rain has also hit homes that depend on solar power. Flooding damaged residential solar systems that people use for lighting and for charging phones, and it destroyed an inverter, the device that converts the direct current from solar panels into the alternating current most household appliances need.

Abu Zayed Electricity Company said water entered several of its facilities despite preparations made ahead of winter. The water damaged equipment and caused generators to malfunction. Because of the risk of electrical contact and short circuits after rainwater got in, the company temporarily suspended services at the affected branches.

Aya Shaheen, the company's general manager, said distribution panels and electricity meters had been covered with plastic sheeting and tarpaulins, and exposed wires had been insulated before the winter rains began. Even so, Shaheen said water entered one company site, although its generators are housed in specially equipped prefabricated structures.

Shaheen said restoring services and repairing the equipment can take hours or days, depending on how much damage there is.