Morocco evacuates 140,000 people as torrential rains and dam releases trigger floods

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — More than 140,000 people were evacuated from their homes in northwestern Morocco as heavy rainfall and water releases from overfilled dams led to flooding, the Interior Ministry said. Stormy weather also disrupted maritime traffic between Morocco and Spain.

Torrential rains and water releases from overfilled dams raised water levels in recent days in rivers such as Loukkous, triggering floods in several towns, including Ksar El Kebir, according to residents and local media.

Authorities urged people in the affected areas to leave immediately and deployed the army to evacuate residents from the hardest-hit towns and set up temporary shelters.

The ministry said Thursday that 143,164 people had been evacuated. Schools and universities were closed. Officials said up to 85% of Ksar El Kebir was evacuated, leaving the town, known for its sugar production, nearly deserted.

Videos provided by a witness to The Associated Press showed damaged homes and landslides in the northern rural town of Bni Zid after torrential rains. Other footage showed bulldozers being used to clear roads and restore access to the isolated community.

Long-awaited after seven years of drought, the heavy rains brought relief to the North African nation, ending a dry spell and securing at least a year of drinking water by filling reservoirs. But it also overfilled some dams, damaged crops such as avocados, potatoes and olives, disrupted port operations and delayed shipments.

Morocco’s water ministry said it has launched controlled water releases from dams nearing maximum capacity, including the total discharge of more than 372 million cubic meters of water from the Oued Al Makhazine dam near Ksar El Kebir.

In the last six months, Morocco has recorded 150 millimeters of rainfall, surpassing the country’s average annual level by 32.5%. Morocco’s meteorology directorate described the climate conditions as “exceptional” and issued a red alert for upcoming heavy rainfall.

“Almost everyone left,” Ksar El Kebir resident Mohamed El Hachimi, who left the town to stay with family elsewhere, told the AP. He added that those without relatives in other towns sought refuge in shelters set up by the authorities.

“The fear now is from the dam, which has surpassed its maximum capacity … and the rain is still pouring heavily,” El Hachimi added.

Officials said the Oued Al Makhazine dam, which has a capacity of more than 672.8 million cubic meters, had exceeded that level by about 46%.

Rising water levels in the Sebou River have also forced partial road closures, flooded neighborhoods and halted train service, local media reported.