Flash Floods Kill at Least 21 in Morocco’s Coastal Town of Safi

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

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

Another 32 people were injured and taken to hospital, though most have since been discharged.

Flood damage also disrupted road networks, cutting off several routes to and from the Atlantic port city.
“It’s a black day,” resident Hamza Chdouani told AFP.

By evening, water levels had begun to recede, leaving residents sifting through thick mud in an effort to recover their belongings. Another local, Marouane Tamer, questioned the absence of government trucks to pump out the floodwaters.

Emergency teams continued searching for possible additional victims as the national weather service warned of more heavy rain on Tuesday in parts of the country.

Morocco frequently experiences severe weather and flooding, even as it grapples with a seventh consecutive year of drought. The General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM) said 2024 was the hottest year on record for the country, with an average rainfall deficit of 24.7 percent.

Experts say climate change is increasingly disrupting Morocco’s typical autumn weather patterns, making storms more intense as warmer air holds more moisture and higher sea temperatures fuel extreme rainfall events.