A view of Derna, a city on the coast of Libya that suffered catastrophic flooding.
Esam Omran Al-Fetori/Reuters
The layout of the city of Derna, on the northeastern coast of Libya, amplified the extreme damage wrought by flooding there over the weekend. The floods have killed at least 2,300 people, according to a Libyan ambulance and emergency services department, and 10,000 more are believed to be missing.
Derna lies along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, at the end of a long, narrow natural valley, called a wadi, which is dry for much of the year.
As the port city was inundated by Storm Daniel, which made landfall in Libya on Sunday, the wadi worked as a funnel, forcing the rushing water into the center of the city. Riverbanks swelled, bridges were washed out and two dams farther up the wadi burst, adding their waters to the deluge.
Source: Videos and imagery of the floods, Google Maps imagery from August 2022
Rescue teams arrived and further supplies were expected Tuesday in the city of Benghazi, some 180 miles from Derna by car, according to Libyan interim government and media sources, but blocked roads posed challenges in getting them to Derna.
Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Photos taken in Derna show widespread destruction along what is usually a dry riverbed. Numerous bridges were washed out, with only the support structures remaining in place.
