Jordan: A school trip turned into an unforgettable disaster... 7 years after the Dead Sea tragedy

Arab Weather - Saturday, October 25, marks the seventh anniversary of the Dead Sea disaster, when torrential rains caused flash floods that killed 22 people, including 19 children on a school trip to the Zarqa-Ma'in Valley, who never returned, according to Hayat News.

On the seventh anniversary of the Dead Sea disaster | How did the atmospheric instability that caused the disaster form?

It is well known that atmospheric instability is a weather phenomenon that can often be extreme, accompanied by severe weather events such as heavy rains, floods, lightning, and even tornadoes.

Now, in 2025, we recall the painful tragedy that struck Jordan in 2018, when a number of students and school staff, along with their accompanying tour guides, were lost in a massive flood in the Zarqa-Ma'in Valley in the Dead Sea. This tragedy was caused by unstable weather conditions.

Timeline of the weather instability on 10/25/2018

Between October 21 and 24, the Kingdom was under the influence of an extension of the Red Sea depression. Weather conditions were unstable in many areas, with thunderstorms occurring daily and locally in random areas, along with a significant rise in temperatures.

However, on October 25, 2018, a cold air mass approached the Levant region, meeting with a hot air mass accompanying an extension of the Red Sea depression. This intensified the unstable weather, and thunderstorms began falling in the morning hours across all regions of the Kingdom, from Aqaba to Irbid, passing through the capital, Amman, the Dead Sea, and the Jordan Valley.

Heavy thunderstorms caused flooding and massive river runoff across Jordan. Unfortunately, these floods coincided with a school field trip to the Zarqa-Ma'in Valley in the Dead Sea, resulting in a tragedy that claimed the lives of 21 children, women, and men.

The region's geographic nature also contributed to the formation of thunderstorms over the Madaba highlands, resulting in heavy thunderstorms that reached approximately 50 mm in a short period of time, not exceeding half an hour. 50 mm means 50 liters of water per square meter.

As a result of the massive rainfall, torrential floods formed, finding their way from the Madaba Mountains, which are over 900 meters high, to the lowest point on Earth, the Dead Sea, which is approximately 400 meters below sea level.

The rocks and lack of vegetation contributed to increased surface runoff, causing the water to rush at high speeds and sweep away everything in its path, including stones, dirt, and even people.