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yesterday

Morocco Evacuates 143,000 as Torrential Rains and Dam Releases Flood the North

Red alerts remain in place for further heavy rain in the north.

An emergency vehicle drives through flood waters as residents are evacuated and relocated to other towns as preventive and emergency evacuations are carried out to move residents living near flood-prone areas following the weather alert and the rise in the water level of the Loukkos River, with flooding expected in the coming days, in Ksar El Kebir on February 1, 2026.
A boy cycles in a flooded street road after heavy rainfall in Ksar El Kebir, Morocco, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo)
A mother and her son evacuate through a flooded street road after heavy rainfall in Ksar El Kebir, Morocco, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo)
Residents stand in a doorway of a building surveying the flooded street in the Sidi Kacem region, in northwestern Morocco on February 5, 2026. More than 100,000 people have been evacuated since January 30, 2026, in the northwest of the country, mainly as a precaution, following exceptional rainfall that led authorities to place several provinces under weather alert.

Overview

  • The Interior Ministry put evacuations at 143,164, with the largest share in Larache and up to 85% of Ksar El Kebir cleared.
  • AFP and officials reported thousands rescued, including more than 10,000 in Sidi Kacem, with helicopters and small boats used.
  • The water ministry conducted controlled discharges, releasing over 372 million cubic meters from the Oued Al Makhazine dam, which officials say exceeded capacity by about 46%.
  • Stormy conditions hampered maritime links with Spain, flooded roads, forced partial closures and halted some train service as rivers like the Sebou rose.
  • After seven years of drought, the downpours refilled reservoirs that authorities say secure at least a year of drinking water, even as crops sustained damage.