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The beleaguered city of Derna is slowly trying to come to terms with life after the catastrophe caused by Storm Daniel and the breaching of its two dams. The eastern-based government now puts deaths at more than 5,300 while the missing are estimated at more than 10,000.
These figures are just early estimates. The combined Tsunami of storm and dam water had swept down the Derna valley taking all before it into the Mediterranean Sea. Some bodies have started to be washed ashore. Many will never be seen again.
Emerging photos and videos
New aerial photography and videos as well satellite imagery start to show the scale of the disaster. The before and after shots show how the blue Mediterranean has been turned into a dirty brown by the mud washed down into it. They also show how large parts of the city had been destroyed and clearly scarred.
Millions of cubic metres of water
Storm Daniel is estimated to have deposited on Derna the equivalent of more than a year’s rain in one day (115 mm) estimated at 115 million cubic metres. The two dams are estimated to have released over 20 million cubic metres of water concentrated in the narrow Derna valley.
Old dams needed maintenance
Derna’s two dams were constructed in the early 1970 by a company from former Yugoslavia. The smaller dam was about 1 km outside town centre while the larger dam was about 13 km south of the city. They have needed maintenance for years. But the Qaddafi regime marginalised eastern Libya for it strong opposition to him and post the 2011 revolution militia wars and the west-east political division meant that dam maintenance was way down any priority list.
Derna has experienced flooding since the 1940, with at least five major floods reported since.
The Benghazi dam?
Yesterday, the eastern authorities briefly raised the alarm about the Benghazi (Wadi Gatara) dam, warning inhabitants to evacuate its surrounding area in case it breached. However, they backtracked later in the day admitting that it was no more than 10 percent full.
Roads and bridges
The aid effort will be challenged by logistics. The Tripoli based Roads and Bridges Authority conducted a survey of Derna’s destroyed roads and bridges network yesterday. It reported that approximately 30 km of roads had collapsed, and five downstream bridges had collapsed. It put the estimated affected area around the valley at 90 hectares.
It also said the coastal road is damaged for 50 km west of Derna and is cut off for 60 km towards Sousse. The only road open to traffic is Al-Dhaher Al-Hamar Road.
Dealing with the aftermath
Now, it’s all about the rescue operations. At this early stage, the two Libyan governments seem to be working together unified by a common cause in a region controlled militarily by Khalifa Hafter.
The Libyan authorities need, with the help of their international friends, to project manage the crisis. Last night the electricity grid was partially restored. This should help power the mobile networks, internet services, hospitals, water supply, lights and all that the emergency services need to start helping.
Numerous bulldozers have been dispatched from the rest of Libya which are needed to clear mud and rubble to try to reestablish tracks and roads for logistics.
Processing the dead with dignity and helping the living
Photos and videos are emerging of bodies lying on the streets awaiting identification and burial. There will be a conflict between the Islamic desire to bury the dead quickly and visual or DNA identification.
On the other hand, there is the need to look after the living. Many are in a state of shock. They have lost their loved ones, homes, workplaces, cars etc. Images of prepared shelter have started to emerge, but this will need to be scaled up.
Aid is arriving
Domestic and international aid has started arriving. This includes specialist emergency first responders. Aid planes have landed including from Turkey and Algeria. Aid has also arrived or is arriving from Egypt, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Japan, Malta, Qatar, Spain, UAE and the USA
Money
The Tripoli government yesterday allocated 2.5 billion dinars to the affected areas. LD 2 bn will go to the Benghazi and Derna Reconstruction Fund while half a billion will go directly to the affected municipalities.
More than 2,000 dead and thousands missing after Storm Daniel hit eastern Libya (libyaherald.com)
Libya hit by storm Daniel with eastern region suffering worse damage (libyaherald.com)
