Moroccan authorities reported on Sunday that severe flooding in the southern province of Tata has resulted in four deaths and 14 missing persons. The flooding began after heavy rains started on Friday, significantly impacting the area around 740 kilometers south of Rabat.
An official noted that the situation remains dire, with the death toll potentially increasing. “Eight houses were washed away by floods in some valleys near Tamanart,” the official told AFP, highlighting the scale of the disaster.
Southern Morocco and parts of Algeria have been drenched by unprecedented rainfall since Friday. This was caused by an “exceptional” climate phenomenon involving unstable tropical air masses, according to Lhoussaine Youabd from the Moroccan General Directorate of Meteorology.
The intense rainfall, described as forming “violent clouds,” led to significant flooding. In Ouarzazate, 47 millimeters of rain fell within three hours, while Tagounite, close to the Algerian border, recorded around 170 millimeters.
These floods have severely impacted regions of Morocco that have been experiencing drought for over six years. The heavy rains have exacerbated existing water stress, with dam levels in Morocco falling below 28 percent capacity by late August.
In neighboring Algeria, the flooding has also caused fatalities. One person has died, and another is missing in the southern region of Illizi, where strong currents swept away a young girl and another individual remains trapped.
Rescue efforts are ongoing in Algeria, where several families have been rescued from floodwaters. Social media videos have shown areas in the Sahara desert inundated with water, underscoring the severity of the weather event.
In Ouarzazate, the heavy rains and strong winds, reaching up to 100 kilometers per hour, caused significant disruption. The winds even created an optical phenomenon, tinting the sky orange, according to meteorological reports.
Local residents, like Omar Gana, reported that such intense rainfall is unprecedented in the region, with no similar events occurring in the past decade. The heavy storms and flooding have created widespread challenges for both Morocco and Algeria.
As the situation develops, authorities continue to monitor the impact and provide updates on the ongoing rescue and relief efforts.
