Libya Flooding Kills Over 2,000

Flooding in eastern Libya has killed at least 2,000 people, with thousands more still unaccounted for. On Sunday, Cyclone Daniel clipped Libya as it traveled across the Mediterranean, bursting two dams near the city of Derna. The resulting floodwaters cascaded through Derna, which has a population of around 90,000 people. The Libyan National Army (lna), which controls eastern Libya, estimates 5,000 to 6,000 people are still missing.

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Witnesses claimed the waters reached roughly 10 feet high. One resident told Reuters: “People were asleep and woke up and found their homes surrounded by water.”

Lasting damage? Libya is run by two rival administrations. The internationally recognized government in the west has little sway over lna territories. This could complicate efforts to bring international aid.

Four major oil ports were out of commission for several days. Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah declared three days of national mourning.

Why disasters? This isn’t the only crisis to hit North Africa in recent days. On Friday, Morocco was hit by its deadliest earthquake in six decades. Over 2,000 died and more than 2,400 were injured.

For disasters to hit back-to-back in areas of relative proximity is tragic. But it also may cause some to ask deeper questions: Why did these happen? Were they merely the result of natural forces? Or are there bigger issues at play? Where was God in the events?

Our Trends article “Why the Trumpet Watches Increased ‘Natural’ and Weather Disasters” can answer these and other questions.