RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Residents in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state faced blocked roads, closed shops and streets under water on Thursday following more heavy rain overnight as the death toll from recent floods and landslides reached 55, authorities said.
Rescuers continued to search for victims on the third day since the catastrophe began late Monday, causing floods, landslides, collapsed houses and shuttered schools.
Minas Gerais’s fire department said 13 people are still missing and more than 230 have been rescued. More than 5,500 people have been forced to leave their homes.
Brazil’s meteorology institute, Inmet, said on Thursday morning that more rain with strong winds was forecast, and pointed to a risk of power outages, falling tree branches, flooding and lightning strikes.
“This morning, all the shops in the city center are being cleaned again. The storm on Monday already caused damage, and early this morning there was even more damage,” said Rev. Ananias Simões, a pastor at a church in Juiz de Fora, the hardest-hit city.
All the victims have been found in Juiz de Fora and Uba, about 310 kilometers (192 miles) north of Rio de Janeiro.
The authorities in Juiz de Fora, where a state of public calamity has been declared, ordered the evacuation of homes along dozens of roads and said residents would be able to shelter in nearby schools.
‘Very chaotic’
Simões, whose church is providing shelter and supplies for victims, said that many roads were closed due to the expectation of more heavy rain. Despite logistical difficulties, he planned on going to the city’s heavily affected northern zone to deliver food and water.
“The situation is very chaotic,” he said. “Everyone is doing their utmost to make sure everyone stays safe.”
The fire department has advised residents to look for signs that their properties may have been damaged or are at risk of collapse, such as cracks in bulging walls, fissures and stuck doors and windows. Outside, muddy water flowing down hillsides, leaning trees and utility poles and cracking sounds coming from the ground all signal imminent danger, it said.
“Don’t wait. If there’s any doubt, leave the house,” said military firefighter Cel. Joselito Oliveira de Paula, speaking to journalists. He said authorities had removed six bodies since Wednesday, adding that efforts continued but that more rain could hinder further recoveries.
Minas Gerais state health secretariat has issued an epidemiological alert providing guidance for health services and the general population to prevent diseases related to contaminated water, such as leptospirosis, the state’s communications agency said in a statement on Thursday. The city’s civil defense agency said it has donated food, mattresses, hygiene kits and rolls of tarpaulin.
Reconstruction efforts
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on his social media channels on Tuesday that security forces have been deployed on rescue missions and are providing immediate assistance to the population affected by the rain. The federal government has authorized the release of around 3.4 million reais (around $660,000) for reconstruction efforts and humanitarian assistance.
Scientists say extreme weather is happening more frequently due to human-caused climate change.
Nearly a quarter of Juiz de Fora residents — around 540,000 people — live in places that have been identified as being at risk of natural hazards related to land and water, according to a 2023 report by Cemaden, a Brazilian government agency that monitors natural disasters.
“We don’t know when heavy rains will occur, but we know that they will,” said Natalie Unterstell, the founder of Talanoa Institute, a climate policy think tank. “Climate adaptation needs to be a priority. It’s not about reacting to a situation, but about investing in infrastructure to avoid deaths.”
Major flooding in Brazil’s southern Rio Grande do Sul state in May 2024 led to the deaths of at least 185 people and ravaged nearly everything needed for economic activity, from shops to factories, farms and ranches. Financial losses were above 10 billion reais ($1.9 billion).
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