Morocco deployed army rescue units to evacuate thousands of people after severe flooding hit parts of the country’s northwest.

Torrential rains and rising river levels flooded neighborhoods in Ksar Kbir, forcing more than 20,000 people into shelters and camps.

Authorities set up sandbags and barriers as waters began to recede, and schools in the area were closed until February 7.

Nearby regions also saw evacuations as river levels continued to rise, Reuters has reported.

While the rains ended a seven-year drought and boosted dam levels, flooding last month had already killed 37 people in another coastal city.