The Great Tunisian Flood

In the autumn of 1969, unusual meteorological conditions over Europe and northern Africa caused an enormous persistent desert storm in Tunisia and eastern Algeria. Poorly developed drainage patterns and gypsum-encrusted surfaces of these desert regions intensified effects of the storm and contributed to the heavy loss of life and property. Destruction of Roman bridges suggests that such storms may have recurrence probabilities of several thousands of years. The event also suggests that, although desert storms are less frequent than those of temperate regions, they can be similar in magnitude.