Flood Journal Entry
Satellite Views Moroccan Floods (December 4, 2002)
Recent satellite image showing flooded rivers of western Morocco is on the right. The image on the left was taken three weeks earlier. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC.
A NASA satellite caught a clear view of the flooded region of western Morocco. The image on the right shows that some of the worst flooding is near the city of Rabat on Morocco's west coast. The image on the left shows the same region before the floods began.
The floods killed at least sixty people. It is the worst flooding in the region in thirty years.
Most of the flood victims died in flash floods from swollen rivers in the area. In the photo, the rivers appear in blue. The raging floodwaters carried loose sediment to the Atlantic Ocean, forming the blue plumes entering the sea visible in the image.
The International Red Cross says 100,000 people have been affected by the floods. About 20,000 people are in need of immediate help. The floods have also taken a heavy toll on cattle herds, crops, roads, and railroads.
