Devastating floods in Chad’s desert province of Tibesti claim at least 54 lives

Severe flooding caused by heavy torrential rains from August 9 to 14, 2024 has devastated Chad’s northern province of Tibesti, leaving at least 54 people dead.

Heavy torrential rains from August 9 to 14 caused severe flooding in Chad’s northern province of Tibesti, resulting in at least 54 casualties, according to local authorities.

The flooding swept away thousands of shops and vehicles, said Mahamat Tochi Chidi, governor of Tibesti province.

Most of the dead and missing are believed to be foreign informal gold miners working in the province, according to Brahim Edji Mahamat, head of a local association.

Flooding is unusual for this desert area, according to the National Meteorological Agency (NMA).

The torrential rains are a climate event that impacts this region of Chad every five to ten years, said Idriss Abdallah Hassan, head of the NMA. He added that annual rainfall in the area usually struggles to reach 200 mm (7.87 inches).

Tibesti Province is named after the Tibesti Mountains, a prominent mountain range that extends into northern Chad and southern Libya. Tibesti Province is known for its rugged terrain, including high peaks, deep valleys, and desert landscapes. The region is sparsely populated and has a harsh climate, with significant temperature fluctuations between day and night.

Southeastern Chad, the opposite side of the country, also experienced severe flooding. Koukou and surrounding villages in the province of Sila were hit by heavy rains in early August.

Wadi Bahr Azoum, a seasonal riverbed that is usually dry at this time of the year and runs alongside the town, overflowed on August 5, causing a large part of Koukou to flood on August 6.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), by August 7, at least 40 people had died, and more than 112 413 people were affected by flooding in 13 provinces, including 71 000 in Sila, 18 000 in Logone Oriental, 8 400 in Logone Occidental, 3 900 in Chari Baguirmi, and at least 1 356 in N’Djamena city (southwestern Chad). Additionally, 6 799 houses were damaged.

The water rose again on Friday, August 9, with more intensity than before, resulting in flooding that has been described as the worst in living memory. The entire town was devastated as the waters wreaked havoc on Koukou and surrounding villages.

“The water came in a huge surge, with high speed and high force,” said Julie Melichar, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Sila project coordinator. “In places, people could no longer walk—they had to swim.”

“We saw people fleeing, panicking that they could not make it out in time. We could hear houses collapsing all around us. We saw people watching their homes being destroyed in front of them. Thousands of people moved from the town to the hills to seek refuge. They tried to take whatever they could with them, but it was very little,” Melichar added.

References:

¹ Worst floods in living memory: Eastern Chad battered by heavy rain – MSF – August 16, 2024

² Deadly floods hit Chad’s Tibesti province, killing 54 and devastating economy – Alarabiya news – August 15, 2024

³ At least 54 people killed in floods Northern Chad – Gulf Times – August 16, 2024

⁴ Chad – Flood (UN OCHA, NOAA-CPC) (ECHO Daily Flash of 09 August 2024) – Reliefweb – August 9, 2024

Rishav Kothari

I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.

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