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Posted by: Emlyn Morgan
« on: June 24, 2024, 08:24:41 am »

Nine months later much of the High Atlas is still a disaster zone with thousands still living in improvised emergency shelters. In many villages reconstruction has not started.

I believe money is not the problem.  Expressed in USD, Morocco has allocated 12 billion dollars to the 5-yr plan, included 14000 dollars for each collapsed house and 8000 for partial collapses. Of course these are just figures in a ledger which take much time and planning to become tangible results.

So, apart from inevitable bureaucracy what is the problem?  As I see it: the scale of the devastation: the remote mountainous nature of the terrain: hundreds of villages on steep mountainsides: some villages flattened or nearly totally destroyed: the climate, freezing in winter, deep snows, baking in summer,  and sometimes torrential rain: broken roads, some blocked by fifty-ton boulders (which apparently shot there from mountainsides at (I read) 50 mph, some of them through villages causing destruction in their path: water channels and pipes broken.

Regarding the scale of devastation: 60,000 houses destroyed, 500 schools damaged, 2000 mosques.

And, we don't forget, 3000 souls killed and 4600 injured.

Note: My information is from journals and Internet reports.  I have not personally visited the High Atlas since the earthquake.

The bottom photo taken before the earthquake shows one  of the hundreds of villages affected. The other two photos are of the same village a month ago, with temporary emergency accommodation.


Posted by: Plagosus
« on: June 23, 2024, 05:06:00 pm »

How well are the affected areas recovering?
Posted by: Zyngaru
« on: September 12, 2023, 02:25:03 pm »

Quote from: Emlyn Morgan on September 12, 2023, 10:58:32 am

It does seem to be a human trait to rebuild cities on the sites of previous volcano and earthquake devastation.

Yes.  Look at Mount Vesuvius.  The volcano that destroyed Pompeii.  What have people done?  They built the city of Naples, Italy at its base and if Vesuvius erupts like it did in the first century, a million people could lose their lives.
Posted by: Emlyn Morgan
« on: September 12, 2023, 10:58:32 am »

Quote from: Zyngaru on September 11, 2023, 03:05:43 pm

If you can get a map that shows the fault line and how it runs, that will give you an even better idea of where the major damage will be.  If Marrakesh was hit hard and is 45 miles from the epicenter, I will make a guess that the fault line runs through or very close to Marrakesh.


I see.  I knew my 45-mile circle was a crude measure because there are no reports of much damage to  villages and towns in some parts of that circle.

Quote from: Zyngaru
I lived a short time in California, USA as a boy, and you didn't want to live on or near one of the major fault lines.  That's as bad as living at the base of a volcano.  I don't understand why people do that, but they do.
It does seem to be a human trait to rebuild cities on the sites of previous volcano and earthquake devastation.
Posted by: Zyngaru
« on: September 11, 2023, 03:05:43 pm »

Quote from: Emlyn Morgan on September 09, 2023, 02:41:41 pm
Thank you all for your concern.

Actually, I'm at the coast over 200 miles from the epicentre.  We were shaken awake at 11pm Friday. People were frightened and slept outside their homes. But there was no damage or injuries in our town.

I've been watching Aljazeera tv rolling news trying to understand the extent of towns and villages seriously affected. The epicentre was near Oukaimeden in the highest mountains 45 straight miles from Marrakesh which we know is badly hit. So if I draw a 45 mile circle on the map centred on Oukaimeden there are very many towns and villages, some very big, which might be hit.

I know the region very well.

This is a very great tragedy for Morocco.

If you can get a map that shows the fault line and how it runs, that will give you an even better idea of where the major damage will be.  If Marrakesh was hit hard and is 45 miles from the epicenter, I will make a guess that the fault line runs through or very close to Marrakesh.

I lived a short time in California, USA as a boy, and you didn't want to live on or near one of the major fault lines.  That's as bad as living at the base of a volcano.  I don't understand why people do that, but they do.
Posted by: David M. Katz
« on: September 09, 2023, 07:36:04 pm »

Happy to know you are safe.

Comforting thoughts for the victims.
Posted by: Emlyn Morgan
« on: September 09, 2023, 05:07:30 pm »

. Somewhere in Marrakesh.
Posted by: Emlyn Morgan
« on: September 09, 2023, 02:41:41 pm »

Thank you all for your concern.

Actually, I'm at the coast over 200 miles from the epicentre.  We were shaken awake at 11pm Friday. People were frightened and slept outside their homes. But there was no damage or injuries in our town.

I've been watching Aljazeera tv rolling news trying to understand the extent of towns and villages seriously affected. The epicentre was near Oukaimeden in the highest mountains 45 straight miles from Marrakesh which we know is badly hit. So if I draw a 45 mile circle on the map centred on Oukaimeden there are very many towns and villages, some very big, which might be hit.

I know the region very well.

This is a very great tragedy for Morocco.
Posted by: afinch
« on: September 09, 2023, 02:04:46 pm »

The only reason I signed on now.  So glad you're safe and grateful that you've let us know.
Posted by: Zyngaru
« on: September 09, 2023, 10:43:36 am »

Very happy to hear you are safe.  I knew you lived somewhere in that general area, but not that you were actually in the exact area of the earthquake.
Posted by: ivor
« on: September 09, 2023, 08:22:20 am »

I hadn't seen or heard today's news at the time I read your post.

The disaster now features highly here. I know you have been in both Marrakesh and Ouarzazate at various times, so the tragedy will have extra significance for you.
Posted by: Plagosus
« on: September 09, 2023, 03:15:24 am »

Glad you are safe.

Some 40 years ago I was in Marrakesh and made some trips into the Atlas visiting Ouarzazate. It is difficult to take in the loss of life and devastation. Minarets are falling and the city walls cracking in Marrakesh.
Posted by: ivor
« on: September 09, 2023, 02:31:40 am »

Pleased to hear it, but must confess I wasn't aware there had been one! Evidently missed out on UK press time because of all the other disasters of the last few days.
Posted by: Emlyn Morgan
« on: September 09, 2023, 01:43:12 am »

Just to say I and friends are safe and well.  Alhamdulillah.