VZCZCXRO8616
OO RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHMS #0576/01 1581406
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 071406Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8356
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE
RUEASRB/COMUSARCENT-CDRUSATHIRD FT MCPHERSON GA IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/COMUSCENTAF SHAW AFB SC IMMEDIATE
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 000576 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2017 
TAGS: AMER AMGT ASEC CASC KSAC KHLS MOPS SENV MU
SUBJECT: TROPICAL CYCLONE GONU CAUSES EXTENSIVE FLOODING, 
DAMAGE IN MUSCAT AREA 
 
REF: A. MUSCAT 574 
 
     ¶B. MUSCAT 572 
     ¶C. MUSCAT 571 
     ¶D. MUSCAT 568 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Gary A. Grappo for Reasons 1.4 (b, d) 
 
¶1.  (SBU) With the departure of tropical cyclone Gonu from 
Omani waters on the evening of June 6, the Embassy is 
attempting to take stock of the storm's impact in the Muscat 
area.  The condition of the Chancery is still being assessed, 
but there appears to have been no major structural damage to 
the building (ref A); Information Technology Systems are back 
up and fully operational.  All American staff and their 
dependents are accounted for.  Embassy families who were 
evacuated from low-lying residential areas have been allowed 
to return their homes.  Some Embassy-owned/leased residences 
sustained varying degrees of water damage, and several remain 
without power (ref A).  The Embassy will report on the status 
of American citizens in Oman septel. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Throughout the duration of the storm, officials 
from the Royal Oman Police (ROP) and the Muscat Municipality 
issued warnings, storm updates, and evacuation orders via TV 
and radio broadcasts (and in some instances, text messages). 
Residents told to evacuate their homes were given the 
addresses of shelter locations, mostly schools, in which to 
take refuge.  Contacts report, however, that the many calls 
to the "999" emergency telephone number (similar to the "911" 
number in the U.S.) went unanswered or were met with a busy 
signal as callers overwhelmed the system.  Except for some 
limited service outages, there was continuous cell phone 
coverage in the Muscat area and most land lines in 
non-flooded homes remained operational.  Local access to the 
internet, however, was cut-off on June 6 due to the storm. 
While many local health clinics were closed, major hospitals 
remained open and provided medical treatment for 
storm-related injuries. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) According to the local press and Embassy contacts, 
as well as observations by Embassy staff, parts of greater 
Muscat suffered extensive damage from the heavy rains and 
high winds associated with Gonu.  Although there was no 
significant storm surge along the shoreline, flooding was 
widespread, particularly in areas near small valleys (locally 
called "wadis" in Arabic) that channel run-off rain into the 
sea and can quickly overflow.  Media reported that 13 persons 
(all of them Omani, Indian, Bangladeshi or Sri Lankan 
nationals) died on account of flood waters.  The commercial 
area of the Qurum district, located in a low-lying area a few 
kilometers east of the Embassy, was inundated; some 
establishments were completely under water.  Farther east, 
reports indicate that portions of the Ruwi district, Muscat's 
principal business center, and the port area of Mutrah were 
similarly flooded.  (Note:  Low-lying areas of Mutrah and 
Ruwi were evacuated by the Omani military and police before 
and during the storm.  End Note.) 
 
¶4.  (SBU) To the west of the Embassy, parts of the Azaiba, 
Ghubrah, Ghala and al-Hail districts were also heavily 
damaged by flood waters.  The al-Khoth dam located in the 
western region reportedly overflowed or possibly burst, 
helping to turn several wadis into raging torrents and 
sending a wall of water through one neighborhood that 
stranded residents on the roofs of their homes.  The American 
International School of Muscat (TASIM) complex in Ghala, 
which includes staff housing, narrowly escaped major flooding 
from a nearby wadi, but remains without power.  (Note:  The 
Embassy is arranging for the delivery of generators to TASIM. 
 End Note.)  Across from TASIM and closer to the wadi, the 
Ghala Church and an adjoining Toyota dealership and service 
center were under several feet of water on June 6.  Vehicles 
from the dealership are currently strewn about the area. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) As of June 7, flood waters in the Muscat area have 
significantly or completely receded.  Some once submerged 
areas, such as the Qurum commercial district, are now free of 
standing water, although buildings and streets are coated 
with layers of mud and without power.  The Embassy has been 
unable to verify claims of collapsed buildings, and some 
shops in affected areas of Mutrah, Ruwi and elsewhere have 
opened their doors.  The Seeb International Airport will 
reopen to commercial traffic on June 7 at 18:00 local time. 
However, there is lasting damage to infrastructure, 
particularly roads.  The major expressway connecting the 
 
MUSCAT 00000576  002 OF 002 
 
 
eastern and western ends of the capital sustained major 
structural damage in some areas.  Several lanes of the 
expressway near the airport are now non-existent, and a 
heavily-used traffic bridge at an expressway thoroughfare 
collapsed.  Sections of other major traffic arteries and 
several secondary roads, including the principal road leading 
into the Azaiba residential district from the expressway, are 
completely washed out.  Portions of the road connecting the 
port and corniche of Mutrah to other areas of Muscat were 
similarly destroyed. 
 
¶7.  (C) To help in recovery efforts, the government of Oman 
has declared Saturday, June 9 to be a holiday.  Omani police, 
some units of which were operating on 24-hour shifts during 
the storm, are patrolling certain commercial areas to prevent 
looting.  (Note:  The headquarters of the ROP suffered major 
flood damage and, according to one contact, its mainframe 
computer system was wiped out.  End Note.)  Road repairs are 
already underway in some areas, and power crews are working 
around the clock to restore electricity.  The Ambassador made 
yet another offer of U.S. assistance to the Omani government 
(refs A-C), but officials have politely declined to request 
help from the U.S. or any other country.  (Note:  The British 
Embassy confirmed that its offers of aid were also politely 
turned away.  End Note.) 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Reports of damage elsewhere in Oman outside Muscat 
are incomplete, but contacts indicate that coastal areas, 
including the cities of Sohar and Sur, suffered similar 
flooding and damage as in the capital.  Post will provide 
further updates septel as necessary. 
GRAPPO