Storm Charles brought heavy rain, thunderstorms and powerful winds to several parts of Morocco on Wednesday, disrupting electricity supplies, road traffic, ferry services and school schedules. The storm also caused a fatal accident in Casablanca, where a school wall collapsed, killing one person and seriously injuring another.
Wall collapse kills one in Casablanca
One person died and another was seriously injured after part of the wall surrounding Abdellah Guennoune High School collapsed in Casablanca’s Salmia neighborhood shortly after 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
The wall, which borders the school’s sports facilities near the Salmia scrapyard, gave way as strong wind gusts hit the city. Several people who regularly gather near the structure to offer services to traders at the scrapyard were caught in the collapse.
The falling structure trapped people beneath the debris and crushed a vehicle parked nearby. The injured person was taken to the emergency department, according to media reports.
The incident was among the first reported fatalities linked to the storm in Casablanca.
Power outage hits Casablanca during evening rush hour
A major electricity outage affected several parts of Casablanca and neighboring areas from late Wednesday afternoon, leaving residential neighborhoods, businesses and public transport services without power.
The Casablanca-Settat Regional Multiservice Company (SRM) said the incident occurred at 4:48 p.m. on the national high-voltage transmission network operated by the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE). The company attributed the disruption to strong wind gusts and thunderstorms affecting the region.
The outage affected several neighborhoods, including the city center, Maârif, El Fida, Aïn Chock, Ben M’sick, Sbata, Sidi Othmane and Hay Hassani. It also reached parts of Nouaceur province, including Bouskoura, Ouled Azzouz and Dar Bouazza.
The timing made the disruption particularly difficult for residents, as it began while thousands of people were leaving work. Traffic lights stopped functioning at several intersections, causing congestion along major boulevards. Tramway services also came to a halt, while elevators stopped working in residential and office buildings.
Some restaurants and businesses temporarily suspended operations as electricity supplies failed. The blackout also affected parts of the city center, including Sidi Belyout, Gauthier and Bourgogne.
SRM said it activated its crisis management system and mobilized teams in coordination with ONEE to restore electricity. The operator also carried out switching operations on its medium-voltage network to limit the impact.
Power was gradually restored across affected areas, with normal service reported at around 9 p.m., after nearly four hours of disruption. Authorities also set up a crisis unit at the Casablanca-Settat regional administration headquarters to coordinate the response.
Flooding disrupts traffic in Tangier
Tangier was among the northern cities hit hardest by Wednesday’s rainfall, with heavy downpours turning several streets into streams and flooding roads and residential areas.
The neighborhoods of Bni Makada and Riad Tetouan were among the areas most affected. Water also accumulated in several parts of the city center and in neighborhoods around Aouama.
The rainfall caused water levels to rise in the riverbeds crossing the city’s four districts, increasing the risk of further flooding in low-lying areas.
Teams from the regional multiservice company intervened under the supervision of the Tangier authorities. Workers cleared dozens of drainage grates to help rainwater flow out of streets and restore traffic on several central avenues.
Some roundabouts had turned into large pools of water, but traffic conditions improved after the intervention, according to local reports.
Flooded roads cut connections between Tangier and Tetouan
Rising water levels also forced authorities to temporarily close sections of two major roads connecting northern cities.
The National Road No. 2 between Tangier and Tetouan was closed near the Sakhatrien area, while traffic was also interrupted on National Road No. 16 between Tetouan and Fnideq, near M’laliyine and the Saniya Torres roundabout in M’diq.
The Ministry of Equipment and Water said the closures followed a significant rise in the water level of Oued Khemis Anjra, which flooded sections of the roads and made them unsafe for traffic.
The ministry said normal traffic would resume once water levels fell and urged drivers to follow road signs and instructions from authorities.
Ferry cancellations affect Morocco-Spain connections
Storm Charles disrupted maritime traffic in the Strait of Gibraltar, forcing the cancellation of ferry services between the Spanish port of Tarifa and Tangier.
The port of Tarifa announced the cancellation of all departures to Tangier Ville scheduled from 2 p.m. on Wednesday because of adverse weather conditions and strong winds that could make navigation unsafe.
The disruption also affected connections from Algeciras to Tangier Med and Ceuta, where some sailings were canceled, although authorities did not announce a complete suspension of those services.
The Port of Casablanca also experienced disruption. Strong winds and adverse sea conditions forced several vessels to leave the port and anchor offshore, temporarily suspending ship movements.
Schools suspend classes in several provinces
Education authorities also suspended classes in several parts of the country as a precaution against heavy rain and strong winds.
On Wednesday, the measures affected schools in Taounate, Tetouan, Chefchaouen, Ouezzane and M’diq-Fnideq, although the duration of the closures varied by area. Some rural schools suspended classes for the full day, while certain urban schools only canceled afternoon sessions.
Authorities in the northern region later extended the suspension to Thursday, November 12, across public and private schools in Tetouan, Al Hoceima, Chefchaouen, Larache, Ouezzane and Fahs-Anjra, as well as M’diq-Fnideq.
The decisions followed an updated weather warning from the General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM) and recommendations from local monitoring committees. Education officials said the measures aimed to protect students, teachers and administrative staff from risks linked to the deteriorating weather.
Authorities warn against road travel as rainfall continues
The Ministry of Equipment and Water urged motorists to postpone nonessential journeys in areas covered by the weather alert and avoid traveling at night.
It warned that heavy rain could disrupt traffic and cause sudden flooding, particularly on low-lying roads, at river crossings and near seasonal waterways. Drivers were also advised not to attempt to cross flooded roads and to check their vehicles before setting out.
The DGM had forecast rainfall accumulations of between 80 and 110 millimeters in Chefchaouen, Al Hoceima, Tetouan, Essaouira, Agadir-Ida-Ou-Tanane, Inezgane-Ait Melloul and Chtouka-Ait Baha between Wednesday and Thursday.
The DGM warned that the unsettled weather would continue in several regions on Thursday and Friday, with conditions expected to gradually stabilize from Saturday.
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