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Derna floods

10 – 11 September 2023 Derna, Cyrenaica · Libya

Derna floods
Image: NASA, Terra, Aqua and Suomi satellites · Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
4,352Deaths
43,000Displaced / homeless
Not quantifiedEstimated cost

The torrential rain of Mediterranean storm Daniel makes two poorly maintained dams upstream of Derna give way. A wave sweeps entire neighbourhoods out to sea.

Consequences

Human consequences

About a quarter of the city is destroyed; entire families disappear.

Environmental consequences

The water and debris carry thousands of bodies into the Mediterranean.

Economic consequences

Infrastructure already weakened by a decade of conflict.

Political consequences

Protests denounce the authorities’ negligence; the country’s split between two governments hampers relief.

Further reading

Similar disasters

In the rankings : The deadliest floods No. 4

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