Authorities in Ksar el Kebir, in Larache province, raised the city to maximum alert on Wednesday after the Loukkos river level rose following heavy rainfall in Morocco’s northwest, with officials tracking flood exposed areas linked to increased flows from the Oued El Makhazine dam.
The provincial governor, El Alamine Bouassim, has carried out field inspections since Tuesday at what officials described as sensitive points along the river, as local authorities, security services, the Loukkos river basin agency, the regional multi service company and the provincial equipment and water directorate moved to full mobilisation.
Teams began implementing a preventive plan that includes placing sand barriers near homes along the riverbank, with officials urging residents to remain vigilant and cooperate until the weather eases.
Mohamed Abdellah Zouwini, head of the Loukkos basin agency, said Larache province has recorded more than 600 millimetres of cumulative rainfall since September, filling the Oued El Makhazine dam to 100 percent and forcing scheduled releases to lower the reservoir level so it can absorb additional inflows during further exceptional rainfall.
He said the releases are overseen by a local vigilance committee chaired by the governor, which is coordinating measures in Ksar el Kebir to limit flooding risk and warn the population.
The regional multi service company said rising wadi levels have disrupted the normal functioning of the city’s sanitation network, adding that it deployed additional equipment and contractors, including pumps intended to prevent wastewater from backing up into homes, while urging residents to avoid areas near wadis and report faults in water, power and wastewater networks.
On Facebook, local pages posted live videos of floodwater in streets and near bridges, with many comments calling for faster drainage support, warning neighbours away from the riverbanks and questioning long standing construction in flood prone zones.
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