Overview
- About one hour of torrential rain inundated roughly 70 homes and businesses in Safi’s old city, sweeping cars through streets and cutting multiple roads.
- Local authorities say at least 14 people received hospital care, including two in intensive care, and schools announced closures for several days.
- Morocco’s national weather service warned of further heavy rain and thunderstorms in the coming days, urging vigilance as search operations remain active.
- Safi, a key Atlantic port and hub for fishing and phosphate processing with hundreds of thousands of residents, reported significant disruptions to local commerce.
- Officials and meteorologists framed the disaster within seven years of drought and record 2024 heat that can intensify short, extreme downpours and raise flood risk.