Brazil: 64 killed and 313,000 left homeless by heavy rains

by alia_d | June 9, 2009 at 03:55 pm

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On Thursday, June 4, 2009, the National Secretariat of Civil Defense of Brazil reported that 64 people have been killed and 313,000 have been left homeless by heavy rains in the north-east of the country.

The situation has gradually been worsening since the beginning of April due to unusually heavy rain. At the beginning of May, the Associated Press reported dangerous situations on the streets, as wildlife entered flooded areas:

Downriver from Santos’ home in the town of Sao Miguel de Rosario, adults waded through waist-deep, muddy water covering the main road — though they kept children in boats to protect them from rattlesnakes and anacondas swimming nearby.

Alligators swam through the city of Santarem, civil defense official Walkiria Coelho said. Scorpions congregated on the same high ground as people escaping the rising water.

On May 28, a dam ruptured due to flooding, killing at least 4 people and destroying 120 homes.

The country has experienced unusually heavy rains this year according to NASA's earth observatory:

Heavy rain began to fall over northern Brazil in early April 2009 and persisted for several weeks, causing the most severe flooding in more than two decades. As of May 13, at least 39 people had died and over 300,000 had been displaced from their homes, reported the Associated Press. While northeastern Brazil is usually fairly dry, it does have a summer wet season that ramps up in February, peaks in April, and quickly falls off in May.

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