The Great Tunisian Flood of 1969
September 17, 2023
By Paul Homewood
The 1973 floods in Tunisia were the second such disaster in just four years:
https://thewaterchannel.tv/videos/floods-in-tunisia-1969/
In fact the 1969 floods were even more deadly, killing 540.
The USGA later published this report:
https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70159880
The sheer size of the area affected was itself astonishing, with most of Tunisia seriously affected and even Algeria too.
Back in 1969, scientists knew the floods were a meteorological phenomenon. Nowadays so-called scientists just lazily blame them on climate change, and demand we change our lifestyles to prevent them in future.
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NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT 
Floods of biblical proportions?
Acts 27:13-27:20
13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor[b] and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
After 14 days the ship with St Paul onboard was wrecked on a Maltese island. Surprisingly all survived
With 20-20 hindsight, it is now obvious that these were the first warnings signs of the extreme weather events that would occur in future due to man-made global warming. If we’d had proper climate scientists in those days, we would have known that we only had 5 years to save the planet. It is now 50 years too late and we are all doomed – doomed I tell you.
Paul,
I was fortunate to be able to visit Tunisia in March 1980 as part of my UCL Masters course on a field trip to study the hydrology of Sebhika Kelbia near Sousse.
Prior to the floods in 1973 the Oued Alem flowed into the sebhika from the south. During the floods the wadi cut directly through a north south ridge 5 km north of its former course and cut off the ridge settlement. When we visited seven years later the extent of the diversionary cut was impressive and the wadi has now completely adopted its new course and flows into the saline lake from the west.
Great report, Paul.
You have an impressive ability to find these historic reports.
Modern journalists should be taking lessons. {As if they cared.}
As John Hultquist says, a great report, and access to these historic reports that goes beyond anything I could quickly achieve. As for modern journalists – I wonder that there seems to be no ambition to prevent a counter-narrative to what all the other journalists are parroting. I seem to remember when I was in my 20s I wanted to say the opposite of what everybody else was saying, just for the hell of it. Where has that gone? Not enough lead in the water, perhaps.
Malcolm – in sane times the concept of human altruism holds sway – your counter-narrative was an attempt to bring light and truth to others.
In insane times, sane people must accept that some people cannot be saved and they must just focus on saving themselves and their families.
War against other countries is almost uniquely declared by Governments.
Civil war is almost uniquely declared by citizens.
In insane times, the sane must decide at what point they have no option but to declare war on the insane. Because sure as eggs is eggs, a time will come when the insane will declare war on them.
present, not prevent
An excellent example that some sort of one in ten thousand year event is actually quite likely to have occurred somewhere in the world within living memory.
So called journalists today are basically bone idle with regard to research. Rather, they want to keep on the right side of their editors to remain employed, going with the flow. I salute you, Paul for what you do. I’ve followed you for many years now.