Torrential Rains Cause Deadly Floods in Morocco and Algeria, Destroying Homes and Infrastructure

Torrential rains hit normally arid mountains and deserts in North Africa over the weekend, causing devastating floods in both Morocco and Algeria that took over a dozen lives, destroyed homes, and badly affected key infrastructure.

Officials in Morocco said the two days of storms eclipsed record rainfalls, in some cases more than the annual average. It was an extremely unusual deluge for the regions already recovering from a deadly earthquake that struck a year ago. Meteorologists predicted a rare storm could affect the Sahara Desert-a place that sees less than an inch of rain a year.

Authorities in Morocco have so far confirmed that 11 people died in rural areas where infrastructure has usually been weak. The collapsing of 24 homes due to the storms left nine people missing. The storms were reported to have also caused damages to the drinking water systems, electrical infrastructure, and major roadways.

Rachid El Khalfi, Morocco’s Interior Ministry’s spokesman, said in a statement on Sunday, the government was doing its best to restore communication and access to flooded areas; he described the situation as “exceptional.” He called for caution.

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Neighboring Algeria, which held a presidential election over the weekend, faced similar destruction, leaving at least five people dead in the country’s desert provinces. The Interior Minister, Brahim Merad, described the situation as “catastrophic” in an appearance on national television. The state-run news service APS reported that the government deployed thousands of civil protection and military personnel to support emergency responses and rescue families stranded in their homes. Several bridges and railway lines were also destroyed in the floods.