Commuters, students and households across Greater Tunis lost basic mobility and access to services on 18 Sep 2026 after intense, locally heavy rain turned streets into impassable channels and pushed water into ground-floor homes. Cars stalled in rising water, public transport failed to arrive for many, and rolling outages affected electricity and internet connections as traffic ground to a halt in the capital region that is home to nearly three million people.
Authorities had issued weather warnings through the National Institute of Meteorology before the showers began, but the decision to suspend classes arrived only shortly before it took effect, sending parents scrambling to collect children as conditions deteriorated. Video clips shared online showed submerged thoroughfares, stalled vehicles and what appeared to be live lines alight, while residents reported flooding inside apartments and interruptions to telecommunications.
"At about 4pm, the road became almost unrecognisable. The tunnel leading to Bab Saadoun was completely closed because of the rain," said Fatma, 35, describing how quickly conditions worsened. She said many people were left waiting on the roadside for hours, and recounted seeing cars fill with water and drivers carrying children on their shoulders.
Residents pointed to recurring failures in drainage and emergency readiness. Severe rain earlier in January damaged large parts of the capital and other areas, left several people dead and exposed persistent vulnerabilities. "Tunisia has become used to these disasters. Every year, we end up flooded even when there is little rain," said Intissar, 33, from the Lafayette area, blaming local authorities for incomplete maintenance ahead of the rainy season.
Officials have also flagged citizen behaviour as a factor, saying waste dumped into drainage channels can block watercourses, a point residents acknowledge. In August, ministers and local officials urged faster clearing of drainage networks and waterways and reported that 29 flood-protection projects were under way nationwide, efforts intended to reduce the repeated disruptions.
The floods have already altered how some people plan travel and housing choices, with residents saying the repeated shocks prompt private coping strategies such as buying cars. The weather system is not finished: forecasters expect rain to continue through Saturday, a development that organisers and authorities are monitoring ahead of a national march in Tunis scheduled for Saturday at 5pm to demand the release of four activists detained over the Al-Soumoud Flotilla.
With further storms forecast, residents and officials face a familiar choice between accelerating remedial work on drainage and flood defences, and accepting more episodes of disruption while projects and cleaning efforts proceed. The immediate test will be whether continuing downpours deepen outages and hamstring transport during the coming days.
