Video of torrential flooding was not taken during Tropical Storm Shaheen in Oman in 2021
Video of torrential flooding was not taken during Tropical Storm Shaheen in Oman in 2021
(Reuters) - A widely-shared video does not show flooding during Tropical Storm Shaheen in Oman in October 2021, despite such claims made online. The video dates to at least 2015.
The 29-second clip of torrential rain flowing down a mountainside and flooding nearby buildings and streets was shared on Twitter on October 10 and was viewed more than 170,000 times (here).
One user who shared the video on October 11 said: “OMAN: INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE COUNTRY IS SEVERELY DAMAGED BY TROPICAL STORM SHAHEEN! (here).
Other examples of the clip being shared online can be seen (here), (here).
The description states that the clip was filmed during Tropical Storm Chapala in November 2015 on the island of Socotra, an archipelago of Yemen, although Reuters was unable to independently corroborate this claim.
The video was also widely shared when Cyclone Mekunu hit Oman in May 2018 (here).
Shaheen carried winds of between 120 and 150 km per hour (75-93 mph) when the eye of the storm made landfall in early October 2021, according to Omani authorities (here).
Reuters previously addressed another miscaptioned video claiming to show flooding in Oman in 2021 (here).
This article will be updated should there be more clarity on the source of the video.
VERDICT
Miscaptioned. A video of a torrent of water running down a mountainside and flooding buildings was not filmed during Tropical Storm Shaheen in Oman in 2021. The clip dates to at least 2015.
