Torrential downpours hit North Africa’s normally arid mountains and deserts over the weekend. They caused flooding that killed nearly two dozen people in Morocco and Algeria and destroyed homes and critical infrastructure. Officials in Morocco said the two days of storms surpassed historic averages and in some cases exceeded the annual average rainfall. The downpours affected some of the regions that experienced a deadly earthquake one year ago. Meteorologists had predicted that a rare deluge could strike North Africa’s Sahara Desert, where many areas receive less than an inch of rain a year.
