Ouarzazate, Morocco: Heavy flooding caused by an “exceptional” climate phenomenon has resulted in at least four deaths and 14 people missing in southern Morocco. The floods began on Friday and have severely impacted the province of Tata, approximately 740 kilometers south of Rabat.
Local officials reported that eight houses were washed away by the floods in valleys near Tamanart, a rural area in Tata. The flooding is attributed to an “extremely unstable tropical air mass” that has brought massive rainfall to usually arid regions of southern Morocco and Algeria.
Lhoussaine Youabd, a spokesperson for the Moroccan General Directorate of Meteorology, described the situation as “exceptional.” He explained that the unstable and violent clouds formed by the tropical air mass led to significant thunderstorms and river flooding. The Ouarzazate region experienced 47 millimeters of rain in just three hours, while Tagounite, near the Algerian border, received about 170 millimeters.
These severe weather conditions have hit areas of Morocco that have been suffering from drought for the past six years. The heavy rains, combined with strong winds reaching up to 100 kilometers per hour in Ouarzazate and 76 km/h in Marrakesh, have also caused unusual atmospheric phenomena, including an orange tint in the sky.
In neighboring Algeria, flooding has also caused fatalities and missing persons. One person died and another remains missing in Illizi, located in the far south. Algerian civil defense has rescued several families trapped by floodwaters in Illizi and Bechar.
Social media has shown videos of the Sahara Desert being drenched, highlighting the widespread impact of the rainfall. Omar Gana, a local resident in Ouarzazate, noted, “We haven’t seen such rain for about 10 years.”
The heavy rains come amid severe water stress in Morocco, with dam levels shrinking to less than 28 percent of capacity by the end of August, following six consecutive years of drought. The rains and winds have exacerbated the already challenging water situation, raising concerns about further flooding and infrastructure damage.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation and coordinate rescue efforts as they deal with the aftermath of the intense weather event.
Leave a Reply