Traffic lights went dark, vehicles clogged junctions and police officers stood in driving rain to keep motorists moving as Storm Charles knocked out electricity across several Casablanca neighborhoods on Wednesday evening.
The blackout struck shortly before 5pm on November 11, when violent winds and thunderstorms damaged high-voltage power lines supplying parts of the city. Homes and businesses lost electricity, traffic signals stopped working and the evening rush hour descended into confusion.
Traffic police, motorcycle officers and other National Security units were deployed at major intersections, where they directed vehicles and assisted motorists caught in the disruption.
Their presence drew praise from residents who watched officers remain at their posts despite the downpour and strong gusts.
“At every intersection, there were two or three police officers facing the rain, wind and cold,” one Casablanca resident said in a video shared after the outage.
“Despite all that, they remained standing at their posts. Frankly, hats off to them.”
The man said officers had helped motorists involved in accidents, moving them to the roadside and attending to their needs.
Although he normally produces content about business, he said the police response had prompted him to speak out.
“I wanted to thank the Casablanca police,” he said. “May God protect them. They deserve our respect.”
Read also : Blackout, traffic chaos, flight diversion: How Casablanca weathered Storm Charles
Other residents praised the security presence during the blackout, with some saying they had witnessed no theft, assaults or damage to property amid the disruption.
The power failure followed storm damage to four 225-kilovolt transmission lines supplying the Dar Bouazza and Ouled Haddou substations, according to the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE).
Electricity was gradually restored, with ONEE reporting that all affected supply substations were back in service by 8:54pm.
By then, police had spent much of the evening directing traffic at junctions where the signals had failed.
