Weather
Check the National Meteorology Office alert page, not only a generic phone forecast.
Roads · Rain · Verified reports
Ask before the road answers for you
A road that was open yesterday may change after one storm, one accident or one broken bridge. Check official weather, ask the people already on the route and leave a journey plan with someone who will notice if you do not arrive.
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Last updated · May 2026Editorial review: 30 August 2026
The first checkpoint is part of the information network
Before a long stage, ask the first police or gendarmerie post about potholes, accidents, water crossings and recent traffic. Officers and drivers often know what happened farther ahead before it appears online. This is an extra field check—not permission to ignore a closure, weather warning or official instruction.
“I check the road, ask at the first police post, look at the weather, carry water and tell someone exactly where I am going and when I should arrive.”
The five-minute check before departure
Road
Ask a recent road user, guide or driver and confirm again at the first police or gendarmerie post.
Journey plan
Send route, passengers, vehicle, departure, expected arrival and the time at which someone must raise the alarm.
Margin
Carry water, fuel, recovery gear, offline coordinates and enough time to turn back without forcing a crossing.
Rain changes the map
Rain is the highest-priority practical alert because consequences depend on the exact location. In Banc d’Arguin, tracks and access points can isolate a vehicle. In Adrar, flowing wadis can cut tracks and even paved roads. Never drive into moving or opaque floodwater to test its depth. Stop on firm high ground, turn back when possible and wait for current local confirmation.
Two labels, one clear meaning
Verification and severity are separate. “Under review” tells you how certain the report is; “Do not pass” tells you how serious the situation may be. A report without confirmation is visible, but it is never presented as fact.
Under review
Received but not independently confirmed. Treat it as a reason to investigate or delay, not as established fact.
Verified
Evidence reviewed and corroborated by another recent source, a trusted local or competent authority.
Resolved
A new time-stamped check indicates normal passage has resumed. The incident remains in the archive.
Advisory
Conditions changed; prepare and confirm before departure.
Major disruption
Delay, turn back or use a verified alternative route.
Do not pass
Reported closure or immediate hazard. Do not attempt the section.
What makes a useful field report
Document only from a safe position. Never approach floodwater, a collision or an unstable road simply to obtain a better photograph.
Exact road segment, nearest landmark and GPS pin when available
Local date and time observed—not only the time sent
Direction of travel and the last confirmed accessible point
Clear photo or short video from a safe location
What is visible: water, collision, washout, sand, closure or traffic
Whether any vehicle passed, what type and how recently
Reporter contact permission for a private verification question
Anyone can report; the record stays accountable
Travellers, residents, drivers, guides and partners may submit an update. Mauritanian Eye reviews the evidence and seeks a second confirmation or a local-authority check when practical. Community replies can confirm, challenge or mark the incident finished with a new time and place. The original report and every status change remain timestamped.
Alerts must age visibly
An unconfirmed report expires from the active feed after 12 hours unless new evidence arrives. A verified flood or road alert requires re-verification after 6 hours. If no new check is available, it remains visible as “Update overdue”—never silently converted into “all clear.” Resolved alerts remain searchable in the archive.
Offline means a timestamp, not live certainty
The downloadable card stores the last verified route status, key contacts, coordinates and preparation checklist. It must display the exact download time. Once offline, it cannot prove that the road has remained open; ask again at the next inhabited place or checkpoint.
Send a journey plan someone can act on
“I am going to the desert” is not a rescue plan. Send one compact message before departure and agree on the exact missed-check-in time that triggers calls.
- People
- Names, phone numbers and any medical condition that matters in an emergency
- Vehicle
- Make, model, colour, registration, fuel range and recovery equipment
- Route
- Start, destination, intended track, waypoints and planned stop
- Timing
- Local departure time, expected arrival and latest normal check-in
- Reserves
- Water, food, fuel and satellite or mobile communication carried
- Escalation
- Who calls first, which local post or guide to contact, and when emergency services must be called
Route information, answered
What should I check before every long road stage?
Check the national weather alert, ask a driver or guide who used the route recently, and confirm conditions again at the first police or gendarmerie post. Download the map, note fuel and water points, carry emergency reserves and send one person your route, passengers, vehicle, departure time and expected arrival time. Agree in advance when that person should raise the alarm.
What does “Under review” mean?
It means Mauritanian Eye has received a plausible report but has not yet obtained enough evidence or independent confirmation to publish it as verified fact. Treat the possible hazard cautiously, look for an alternative and seek a current local check. It does not mean the report is false—and it does not mean a road is officially closed.
What evidence makes a road report useful?
Provide the precise place or GPS point, direction of travel, date and local time, what you personally observed, whether vehicles are passing, and a safe photo or short video when possible. Add the source if the information came from police, a driver or a resident. Never enter floodwater, stop in a dangerous traffic position or approach an accident to collect evidence.
How long should I trust an alert?
Only as long as its timestamp and the situation justify. Rain, sand, recovery work and traffic can change a route within hours. Read the last verified time, look for a resolved or overdue label and confirm again immediately before departure. A screenshot or downloaded card is historical information once the phone is offline, not proof that the road is still open.
What should I do if rain blocks the route?
Do not test moving or opaque water. Stop on firm high ground away from the channel, turn back if the known route remains safe, and contact the nearest post or local driver. Wait for direct confirmation that the crossing has reopened; another vehicle entering the water is not proof that your vehicle, load or driver can pass safely.
What is +222 33 33 33 99 for?
It is the Mauritanian Eye route-information contact for sending or requesting field information and reaching the local tourism-support network. It is not an emergency-dispatch number and cannot guarantee coverage or response. In immediate danger, call the competent emergency service and the nearest police or gendarmerie post first, then share the report with Mauritanian Eye when safe.