Flash Floods Kill 21 in Morocco’s Coastal City of Safi

MOROCCO: At least 21 people were killed after sudden heavy rain triggered flash flooding in the Moroccan coastal town of Safi on Sunday, local authorities said.

Videos shared on social media showed torrents of muddy water sweeping through streets, carrying cars and rubbish bins in Safi, located about 300 kilometres south of the capital Rabat. Authorities said at least 70 homes and businesses in the city’s historic old quarter were flooded.

Another 32 people were injured and taken to hospital, though most have since been discharged. Flood damage to roads disrupted traffic on several routes to and from the Atlantic port city.

“It’s a black day,” resident Hamza Chdouani told media, as residents later returned to mud-covered streets to recover their belongings after water levels receded.

Another local, Marouane Tamer, questioned why government trucks had not been deployed sooner to pump out the floodwater.

Rescue teams continued searching for possible victims, while Morocco’s weather service warned of more heavy rain across the country on Tuesday.

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Morocco frequently experiences severe weather and flooding, despite facing a severe drought for the seventh consecutive year. The General Directorate of Meteorology said 2024 was the hottest year on record in the country, with an average rainfall deficit of 24.7 percent.

Experts say climate change has disrupted traditional weather patterns, making storms more intense as warmer air holds more moisture and rising sea temperatures strengthen weather systems.