Storms have killed 10 people and left 150 families homeless in southern Algeria, according to the latest official toll, while a district adminstrator said Monday that damage amounted to $80 million (Dhs293.83m).
"The damage has been provisionally evaluated at six billion dinars ($80 million), not counting homes. The damage to homes will be assessed," Selim Semmoudi, the administrator of the El Bayadh region 700 kilometres (435 miles) southwest of Algiers, said on state radio.
The families affected since the storms began late last week have been given shelter on old factory premises which have been swiftly fitted out to accomodate flood victims.
Senmoundi added that five bridges had collapsed and there was serious damage to the drinking water cleaning system.
Heavy rain in the region has raised the water level in one desert wadi to 13 metres (43 feet), leaving many bridges under water, according to the civil protection service. One agent of the protection service has gone missing.
Almost 120 civil protection agents from neighbouring regions have been sent to help at El-Bayadh.
The region was battered by heavy rain between Friday and Sunday. On Saturday, the national meteorological office issued a special bulletin warning of violent storms Sunday with high winds in five southern regions. The office issued a second warning on Sunday for Monday.
In October 2008, tempestuous weather claimed 43 lives in the Ghardaia region, 650 kilometres south of Algiers, while 706 people lost their lives to floods in November 2001 in the working class Bab El Oued district of Algiers.