Palestinian police in the Gaza Strip have evacuated 80 families from their homes after flooding left large parts of the coastal area under water.
Officials say three inches (7.5 centimeters) of rain fell on Tuesday. The downpour flooded areas in northern and southern Gaza, left streets in knee-deep water and stranded vehicles. Police were seen wading through the water to help people.
There were no casualties reported. But heavy rains last year caused a collapse of a sewage pit in Gaza that killed five people.
October usually marks the beginning of the region's rainy winter season. The heavy rain is being made worse by Gaza's shoddy infrastructure, where repairs have been held up by an Israeli blockade on the territory.
