Casablanca, November 12, 2026. Morocco’s economic capital went through a difficult evening on Wednesday after a large-scale power outage. Neighborhoods without electricity, traffic lights out, disrupted transport and affected businesses: a look back at the established facts and their consequences.
A major outage at rush hour
On Wednesday, November 11, 2026, a major power outage hit several neighborhoods of Casablanca and localities in Nouaceur province. The incident began at 4:48 p.m., according to the Casablanca-Settat regional multiservice company (SRM-CS). It was not a citywide blackout, but its scale caused severe disruption late in the day.
Which neighborhoods were affected?
Areas reported include Maârif, Casablanca Finance City, Californie, Sidi Maârouf, CIL, Palmiers, Val Fleuri, Gauthier, Bourgogne, Anfa, Hay Hassani and the city center. SRM-CS also mentioned El Fida, Aïn Chock, Ben M’sick, Sbata and Sidi Othmane, as well as Bouskoura, Ouled Azzouz and Dar Bouazza in Nouaceur province. The exact extent may have varied from one street to another.
The cause: bad weather and a failure on the extra-high-voltage grid
In its statement, SRM-CS attributed the incident to strong gusts of wind and thunderstorms that hit the region. The failure occurred on extra-high-voltage lines belonging to the national electricity transmission grid run by ONEE. It cut power to several substations serving Casablanca and its surroundings. Weather authorities had issued an orange alert for sometimes stormy rain and powerful wind gusts.
Traffic: lights out and congestion
The outage left several intersections without traffic lights just as many employees were leaving work. Heavy congestion was reported on major roads. The combination of darkness, bad weather and lights out of service made travel harder and worsened traffic problems.
Public transport and buildings disrupted
Le360 reported that the tramway stopped during the disruption. Elevators also stopped working in some buildings. These interruptions show how much urban mobility and building facilities depend on a continuous power supply.
Businesses, shops and digital services: activity weakened
The outages affected office and retail areas, notably Casablanca’s financial hub. Some establishments with backup power were able to keep their lights on. Internet connection interruptions were reported in some neighborhoods. However, no comprehensive, verified assessment of businesses’ financial losses was available in the sources consulted: it would be premature to put forward a figure.
Residents: an evening turned upside down
For affected households, a late-afternoon outage can disrupt lighting, meal preparation, communications and the use of household appliances. Elevator stoppages can be particularly difficult for people with reduced mobility. These are possible consequences of a power outage; not all of them have been the subject of an official, quantified assessment for this incident.
Power gradually restored
SRM-CS teams, in coordination with ONEE, activated crisis-management measures and carried out switching operations on the medium-voltage network to limit the effects of the incident. SNRT News reported that power had been restored in several areas as early as the evening. According to TelQuel, electricity was back around 9:30 p.m. in neighborhoods such as Maârif, Casablanca Finance City and the city center, after more than four hours of disruption. At that time, SRM-CS had not yet confirmed a full return to normal.
What lessons for Casablanca’s resilience?
This episode raises fundamental questions: how can electrical infrastructure be protected against violent weather, backup solutions in transport and essential services be strengthened, and residents be quickly informed about affected areas and estimated restoration times? Documented answers will require a detailed technical assessment by the operators. In any case, the incident underlines the importance of continuity plans suited to an economic hub like Casablanca.
Sources and follow-up
Information cross-checked with SNRT News (MAP), Le360, TelQuel, 2M and Médias24, reports published on November 11, 2026. This article distinguishes reported facts from potential consequences and will be updated if an official technical or economic assessment is published.
