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The death toll from floods and a violent storm in the coastal city of Safi on Morocco’s Atlantic coast has risen to 37, according to authorities, after severe weather caused widespread damage, disrupted transportation, and prompted ongoing search and rescue efforts.
Adverse weather conditions were reported to have caused extensive damage, loss of life, and disruptions to transportation across several regions of the country.
“Fourteen people are currently being treated at Mohammed V Hospital in Safi, including two in intensive care,” local authorities added in a statement to AFP.
In some coastal areas, floodwaters submerged parts of towns, while heavy snowfall in inland and highland regions led to the temporary closure of roads and cut off access to numerous residential areas.
According to Morocco’s official news agency MAP, the Safi Governorate said in a written statement that it had shared updated information regarding the exceptional weather conditions that struck the region on Tuesday evening, followed by severe flooding.
The statement said the number of fatalities caused by the floods and violent storms had been recorded at 37.
Authorities said search and rescue operations to locate missing persons are continuing uninterrupted, security measures have been taken in flood-affected areas, and an extensive mobilization is underway to deliver aid and assistance to those affected by the disaster.
It had been announced earlier that Morocco experienced floods and water inundation in coastal regions on Tuesday, while heavy snowfall affected inland and mountainous areas, resulting in 16 deaths due to flooding and severe cold conditions.
Images on social media showed torrents of muddy water sweeping cars and trash bins from the streets in Safi, which sits about 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of the capital, Rabat.
Severe weather and flooding are not uncommon in Morocco, which is struggling with a severe drought for the seventh consecutive year.
The General Directorate of Meteorology said 2024 was Morocco’s hottest year on record, while registering an average rainfall deficit of 24.7%.
Moroccan autumns are typically marked by a gradual drop in temperatures, but climate change has affected weather patterns and made storms more intense because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture and warmer seas can intensify weather systems.
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