HIBAPRESS – Abdellatif Baraka
The strong weather fluctuations accompanying the "Francis" storm imposed a state of maximum alert in the Taroudant region, after the Moulay Abdellah dam reached a worrying level of fullness, which necessitated taking urgent measures to protect the residents living near the streams of the valleys.
During Sunday night, the local authorities, supported by elements of the Royal Gendarmerie and auxiliary forces, began a precautionary evacuation operation that included a number of villages threatened by potential floods, in light of the release of significant amounts of water from the dam to reduce pressure on its structure, after the flow of strong torrents coming from the surrounding mountainous heights. The evacuation operation included the villages of (Amshrek, Al-Faydh, Ait Majout, Ait Khrief, and Ait Taleb), where families residing in areas closest to the path of Wadi Sidi Abdellah were transferred to safer areas, while a number of them were accommodated in social institutions designated for this purpose, pending the improvement of the climate conditions. The heavy rainfall, which is still continuing in the region, contributed to complicating the evacuation process, both in terms of the difficulty of movement and persuading some residents to leave their homes, especially in light of their attachment to their properties and livestock. However, the authorities intensified their awareness interventions, supported by the launch of warning sirens to warn citizens from approaching dangerous valley streams. This intervention comes within the framework of a preventive approach aimed at anticipating any potential scenarios that may threaten the safety of lives, especially since Wadi Sidi Abdellah is one of the most dangerous watercourses in the region, and its impact extends to wide areas reaching the Souss valley. The authorities continue to closely monitor the situation, with the mobilization of human and logistical resources around the clock, in anticipation of any new developments that may require expanding the evacuation area, in light of the continued effects of the "Francis" storm on a number of areas in southern Morocco.
