Kinneret (Sea of Galilee)
Kinneret (Sea of Galilee)Flash 90

Israel's recent storms have had a positive effect on the Galilee, reported the Galilee Development Company.

"The winter started off with two very dry months. It was very worrying. But now a lot of precipitation has fallen, and the situation has changed dramatically," said Galilee farmer Zamir Carmi, who also serves as Director of the Galilee Development Company.

"The rain is excellent for farming. At least something good has happened to farmers, even if it has absolutely no connection to the government. Everything connected to the Finance Minister and the Agriculture Minister has only hurt us. At least rain isn't dependent on them."

Even before the storms this past week, farmers were already reporting about 120% of average precipitation. It is estimated that approximately 300 millimeters of rain will fall by the end of the week - much more than the December average, and approximately 50% of the seasonal average.

The Kinneret Authority has also reported higher than usual amounts of water streaming into the Kinneret from Galilee streams.

Kinneret Authority Inspector Guy Kolar said, "The streams dumping into the Kinneret from the Galilee and Golan are the most significant and strong since 2012, at least. We're expecting a stormy week, so there's no telling how much precipitation we'll end up getting. If it continues to be like the last two weeks, the streams will continue spilling into the Kinneret, and the Kinneret's water level will continue to rise."

"These rains are a huge blessing, and every farmer in the Galilee is thankful for them. But we need to wait until the end of the winter. We hope it will be a rainier season than usual, and that the riverbeds will rise after three years of being low," said Galilee Development Company Vice President of Agriculture Amos Levin.