Brazil Flooding Kills 41: 600 People Still Missing (Videos)

by Amy Judd | June 22, 2010 at 03:32 pm

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Severe Flooding in the Brazilian States of Alagoas and Pernambuco Has Caused 41 Deaths With About 600 More Presumed Missing

About 120,000 people have been forced to evacuated their homes after severe flooding turned streets in to rivers and houses, bridges and roads were swept away. About 600 people are thought to be missing according to the Associated Press, but a report from the Civil Defense department of Alagoas implies most of that number are not in any immediate danger.

"We think the number missing is much, much smaller," said Cpl. Edward Rocha, with the Alagoas Civil Defense.

Alagoas and Pernambuco received about a month's worth of rain in two days and some smaller towns have been completely swept away. More showers are expected this week, but it should not be as heavy as late last week.

"I lost everything from one hour to the next," Nelito Sousa, a 32-year-old bricklayer, told the O Jornal newspaper. "The water came quickly and knocked down house after house."

Schools are being used to house the homeless, but due to the damp conditions respiratory illnesses affecting the young and old could become a problem.

The Brazilian government has pledged $100 million in aid to the region to be used for food, water and reconstruction.

The Associated Press reports that in May 2009 this same area was hit by floods that killed 44 people and displaced 380,000.