The Big Flood

"We were three days short of a Biblical record," said Foreign Minister Habib Bourguiba Jr. He was not smiling. For 38 days in September and October, rain fell steadily on Tunisia, leaving 600 people dead, destroying 70,000 homes, and making refugees of 300,000 of the nation's 4,500,000 people. Touring the country last week, TIME Correspondent William Rademaekers reported that the floods have set economic growth back five years.

Meteorologists blame the flood on a shift in the Azores high-pressure area from 35DEG north latitude, where it normally centers, to 45DEG north. The shift eliminated summer rains from most of Europe and brought unusually warm and sunny weather. Meanwhile, cool air suddenly began to flow from the Soviet Union toward the Mediterranean. A low-pressure system over Northern Africa created a bowling-alley effect, directing the moisture-laden air mass straight at Tunisia. On the Tunisian-Algerian border, the Atlas Mountains blocked the air and caused the rain to fall. The mountains also set up a swirling air flow in which clouds gathered up new water.

The Map Revised. Rivers crested 36 feet above normal. Whole villages vanished. Thirty-five major bridges were washed away, and the map of Tunisia was drastically revised. At least 1,000,000 livestock drowned and 10,000 olive trees were uprooted. The Zeroud and Marguelil rivers, swirling together, created a torrent eight miles wide. The force was so great that 100-ton concrete slabs, used to anchor bridges, were hurled downstream. An irrigation project that took two years and $7,000,000 to construct was washed away in six hours. As late as last week the Mediterranean was still an oozing ochre sore from the Gulf of Tunis to the Gulf of Bou Grara because of topsoil washed into the sea by the boiling rivers.

Here and there the floods left a boon. On the Kairouan plain, 80 miles south of Tunis, a three-foot layer of soil was washed away, uncovering a sizable Roman village. Inland lakes eight miles wide were created by rainfalls of 16 inches in 24 hours. The lakes are now draining down to raise the water table, and farmers are assured of at least four years of well-watered soil. Most important, the rains that battered 80% of Tunisia bypassed coastal resort areas whose hotels account for $40 million in tourist revenues annually. Even so, cancellations already total $1,000,000.

Help from Abroad. Foreign Minister Bourguiba, son of the founder and President of Tunisia, has spent most of his time since the flood pleading for foreign assistance. Morocco, France and the U.S. sent helicopters that brought food and medical personnel to isolated areas and flew stranded families out. The U.S. also allotted nearly $1,000,000 and West Germany $2,500,000 in loans and grants. French, Belgian, Dutch and Spanish engineers are already at work rebuilding rail lines and restoring the water system. Russia dispatched $20,000 worth of blankets, food and medicine and a message of sympathy. In all, 24 nations are providing assistance.

Though neighboring Libya and Algeria are helping out, along with Morocco, Tunisia may have difficulty getting aid from other Arab countries. President Bourguiba has consistently sided with the West. He is opposed to war with Israel and is reluctantly coming around to the idea of coexistence with the Jerusalem government. As a result, most of the Arab states have done nothing to help with Tunisia's recovery.

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