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Emergency teams are working to find survivors and retrieve bodies after a massive flood hit Libya's northeast three days ago, killing at least 5,300 people and leaving 10,000 missing.
The floods showed the devastation after the floods on social media through eyewitness footage, with collapsed rooftops and tumbled cars amid the rubble of destroyed infrastructure.
Satellite images displayed water and sand-destroying buildings in the worst-hit city of Derna. The coastal city's shores seemed to suffer severe erosion.
The storm forced health facilities and other social amenities to shut down, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake and disrupting various services.
Where did the flood hit?
The flood, which hit Libya's northeast on the Mediterranean coast, affected the worst-hit city, Derna, situated some 300 kilometers (190 miles) east of Benghazi, the second-largest city in the country. Derna, a city of roughly 100,000 people, suffered heavy damage. Authorities believe that the flood has washed away whole neighborhoods and emergency response workers state that hospitals are no longer operational.
Storm Daniel batters Mediterranean cities
Mediterranean Storm Daniel battered Benghazi, Sousse, Al Bayda, Al-Marj, and Derna on September 10, leaving many people trapped in buildings. Responding to the crisis, the Libyan government declared Derna a disaster zone.
As a precautionary measure, Libyan authorities closed four major oil ports – Ras Lanuf, Zueitina, Brega, and Es Sidra – for three days starting Saturday evening. Libya’s state-owned National Oil Corporation also raised its alert level in anticipation of the storm.
Amateur photos and videos on social media showcased extensive flooding, with buildings destroyed and vehicles submerged. Rescue operations were active on Monday to aid families stranded in their homes due to the floods. Efforts to clear rainwater runoff paths were also underway.
In the meantime, Egypt’s Meteorological Authority (EMA) issued a warning on September 10, predicting that Storm Daniel, which had struck the eastern Mediterranean, would reach Egypt a day later. However, EMA mentioned that the storm would significantly weaken by the time it reached Egypt’s west coast.
Citizens seek aid amid Libya's floods
Libyan activists shared videos of citizens seeking help as heavy rains and flooding caused havoc over the weekend. Al Arfi explained that all security and military agencies, along with government institutions like the General Safety Authority and hospitals, are on high alert to handle the low-pressure system off Libya's coast.
Heavy rainfall, ongoing and widespread, submerged many areas. Families trapped by rainwater are being evacuated using boats. The most affected areas, including Al-Bayda, Taknis, Al-Marj, and Derna in the east, saw houses flooded due to their location amid the green mountain, causing valley overflow due to heavy rain.
On Sunday, the Egyptian Meteorological Authority warned citizens that Storm Daniel would reach the country by Monday, accompanied by rains and unstable weather in western parts of the country.
The EMA said, "These conditions will affect parts of western Egypt, including Salloum, Marsa Matruh and Siwa. Parts of Alexandria are expected to experience light to moderate rain in the evening."
"Light to moderate rain will gradually affect parts of the southern Delta, the canal cities, and possibly Cairo as it moves inland."
How did the flood occur, and what was climate change's role?
A very strong low-pressure system brought catastrophic flooding to Greece last week before moving into the Mediterranean and developing into a tropical-like cyclone known as a medicane, resulting in the torrential rainfall that has devastated Derna and other cities in Libya's northeast.
As planet-warming emissions soar off the charts, the increasing ocean temperatures around the world have caused the Mediterranean temperature to rise well above average, fueling the storm's heavy rainfall, according to scientists.
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