At least 37 dead after devastating flash floods hit Morocco

Torrential rains caused devastation in Safi, Morocco

People wade through a street after a flash flood in Safi on December 14, 2025 (AFP via Getty Images)

Torrential rains caused devastating floods in Morocco, killing at least 37 in the coastal city of Safi, the Interior Ministry confirmed Monday.

Overnight, heavy rain and flash floods submerged around 70 homes and businesses, sweeping away ten vehicles.

Fourteen individuals were also hospitalised, the ministry reported.

Local outlets stated schools would close for three days.

Further rainfall led to flooding and damage across Morocco, including Tetouan and the mountain town of Tinghir.

People wade through a square after a flash flood in Safi on December 14, 2025 (AFP via Getty Images)

Safi, a city on Morocco’s Atlantic shore more than 320 kilometers (200 miles) from the capital Rabat, is a major hub for the country’s critical fishing and mining industries.

Both employ thousands to catch, mine and process the commodities for export.

The city, with a population of more than 300,000 people, is home to a major phosphate processing plant.

Videos shared on social media showed cars stranded and partially submerged as floodwaters surged through Safi’s streets.

Climate change has made weather patterns more unpredictable in Morocco.

North Africa has been plagued by several years of drought, hardening soils and making mountains, deserts and plains more susceptible to flooding.

Last year, floods in normally arid mountains and desert areas killed nearly two dozen people in Morocco and Algeria.

This week's floods came after 22 people were killed in a two-building collapse in the Moroccan city of Fez.

Morocco has invested in disaster risk initiatives although local governments often do not enforce building codes and drainage systems can be lacking in some cities.

Infrastructural inequities were a focus of youth-led protests that swept the country earlier this year.