Brazil storm: Deadly storms strike Brazilian coast leaving dozens dead
At least 36 people have died due to severe flooding and landslides in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, causing some cities to cancel their annual Carnival celebrations. Video footage showed neighbourhoods submerged, motorways flooded, and debris left behind as homes were swept away.
Rescue teams have been facing difficulties reaching survivors and clearing blocked roads. Some areas received more than 600mm (23.6 inches) of rainfall on Sunday, twice the expected amount for the month.
Dozens of people were reported missing, and hundreds have been displaced or evacuated. The state government declared a state of calamity in six towns and released $1.5m in funding for disaster relief. Carnival events were cancelled, and Latin America’s largest port in Santos was shut down due to high winds and waves.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva promised to visit the affected areas and provide assistance, as more heavy rain is expected in the region. Climate change is believed to be contributing to the increase in extreme weather events such as this.
‘Many more deaths expected’
“Search and rescue teams are not managing to get to several places; it is a chaotic situation,” said Felipe Augusto, the mayor of the hard-hit town of São Sebastião.
“We have not yet gauged the scale of the damage. We are trying to rescue the victims.”
Dozens were missing in the town and about 50 houses had collapsed and washed away, Mr Augusto added, saying that the situation remained “extremely critical”.
“Unfortunately, we are going to have many more deaths,” a civil defence official told the newspaper Folha de São Paulo.
Brazil carnival events cancelled
The colourful and well-known Carnival celebrations in Brazil, which typically last for five days leading up to the Christian festival of Lent, were called off in the northern coastline. This area is a popular destination for affluent tourists who prefer to avoid large-scale street festivities held in major cities.
Latin America’s largest port in Santos was also shut as wind speeds exceeded 55km/h (34mph) and waves rose to over a metre, local media reported.
In a post on Twitter, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sent his condolences to those who had lost loved ones.
“We are going to bring together all levels of government and, with the solidarity of society, treat the wounded, look for the missing, restore highways, power connections and telecommunications in the region,” Mr da Silva wrote.
