ON Sept. 11, 2023, Eastern Libya woke up to a natural disaster that exceeded in scope anything historically documented in Libya or any that the living have experienced in their lifetime. Storm 'Daniel' struck the region, leaving massive damage, with the city of Derna suffering the largest share — where the storm turned into a disaster in every sense of the word, with the number of victims expected to exceed 10,000 dead or missing in addition to property destruction. The storm had swept other countries in the Mediterranean basin, carrying with it record amounts of rain when it reached land in Libya, filling the usually dry Derna Valley. The pressure of the water level caused the collapse of two dams built in the 1970s to protect the city from floods, unleashing a massive torrent that swept through the city, sweeping away entire neighborhoods with their residents, homes, apartments, and cars into the sea.

Rescue teams are still exerting efforts to extract the bodies of people who, for an hour and a half, found themselves surrounded by water in their homes and vehicles and then carried by this heavy pouring water to their deaths. The affected neighborhoods are located on both banks of the valley that passes through the city center, and the infrastructure has been subjected to extensive destruction, including the bridges linking the east and west of the city.