Tunisia floods disrupt capital as heavy rain traps motorists and residents

Heavy downpours on Thursday left parts of Tunis paralyzed, flooding streets and residential areas and trapping people in vehicles as electricity and internet services were interrupted. Footage circulated online showed submerged roads, stranded cars and what appeared to be power lines on fire; residents also reported water entering homes. Authorities had issued weather warnings for locally heavy thunderstorms that could trigger rapid flooding and power outages. The rains forced a late decision to suspend classes, prompting parents to rush to schools while traffic gridlocked across the capital. Commuters said public transport failed to meet demand as roads became impassable; one resident described a tunnel to Bab Saadoun being closed and people stranded for hours while several cars filled with water and broke down. Local people expressed frustration with repeated seasonal flooding, blaming both municipal shortcomings and clogged drains. Residents interviewed said routine preventive maintenance that should have taken place during the dry season had not been completed, while they also pointed to waste dumped in drainage channels as a contributing factor. Government officials in August had called for cleared waterways and accelerated flood-protection work. The episode comes as Tunisia prepares for a national march in Tunis on Saturday, where organizers intend to call for the release of four activists; forecasts indicate rain may continue through the weekend. Officials say 29 flood-protection projects are in progress nationwide, but recurring disruptions and residents’ complaints about transport reliability and infrastructure upkeep indicate that many in Tunis remain skeptical about current preparedness measures.