In recent days, heavy rain in Brazil's North and Northeast regions left thousands unsheltered. Six states are on alert due to river flooding: Acre, Amazonas, Rondônia, Pará, Tocantins and Maranhão.
Acre’s government and Rio Branco’s City Hall declared a state of emergency due to heavy rain. The latest bulletin from the state’s civil defense informed that the Acre River exceeded, this Saturday (25), the alert quota of 14 meters (about 46 ft), reaching 16.23 meters (about 53.2 ft).
Chuvas fortes atingem Manaus. A cena é de destruição! Mais uma vez, casas são arrastadas e pessoas passam por situações de perigo, por falta de políticas públicas sérias e comprometidas com um planejamento urbano que proteja as pessoas dos desastres ambientais. Até quando? pic.twitter.com/EuXbzNHq8K
— Chico Alencar (@chico_psol) March 26, 2023
Tweet: “Heavy rain in Manaus. Destruction all around! Once again, houses were dragged by the water, and people face dangerous situations due to a lack of effective public policies compromised with urban planning to protect residents from environmental disasters. For how long?”
The intense rain started on Wednesday (23). Over a 13-hour period, the state saw more than half of the expected average rainfall for the entire month of March. A stretch of the BR-364 highway was closed after an open crater was produced by the water.
Rio Branco has been receiving donations to support 32,000 families affected. About 2,000 of them are temporarily homeless and need basic-needs grocery packages, clothes and mattresses.
Classes were suspended, and state schools are being used as temporary shelters. In all, 500 families are in 24 shelters made available by public authorities. The house of Rio Branco’s vice mayor, Marfisa Galvão (Social Democratic Party), was also damaged by the water in the Vila Ivonete neighborhood.
On Instagram, American actress Viola Davis posted a video showing solidarity with the rain victims in Acre. “I really don't know how to help out except by putting out the word that this beautiful country needs our help,” she wrote.
The forecast is that the rain will continue throughout Sunday with probable floods mainly in Rio Branco. The region is on orange alert, the second in a scale that includes yellow alert (potential danger) and red alert (great risk). Acre’s civil defense says there is also concern with the town of Brasileia, Assis Brasil, Xapuri and Epitaciolândia.
The Minister of Environment, Marina Silva, and the Minister of Integration and Regional Development, Waldez Góes, arrived in Acre this Sunday (26) to visit the affected areas to assist the population.
“All the necessary measures were taken to support the population. Thank God there aren’t fatal victims,” said Góes on Twitter, reinforcing that a team of GADE (Disaster Support Group) is in Acre.
Estamos em Rio Branco, no Acre, representando o presidente @LulaOficial, com a ministra @MarinaSilva e o coordenador nacional da defesa civil, Wolnei Wolff, para acompanhar de perto, junto com o prefeito @bocalomoficial e o governador @GladsonCameli, pic.twitter.com/mfvvawzLy6
— Waldez Góes (@waldezoficial) March 26, 2023
Tweet: “We are in Rio Branco, Acre, representing president @LulaOficial with minister @MarinaSilva and the national coordinator of civil defense, Wolnei Wolff, to follow the situation with mayor @bocalomoficial and governor @GldsonCameli.”
On his official Twitter Account, the minister said that after he visits Acre, he will head to the city of Manaus, Amazonas state. The city recorded 41 floodings or landslides this Saturday, 25, according to the municipal administration. So far, over 260 families were resettled in Manaus due to the heavy rain.
Maranhão
The state of Maranhão, northeastern Brazil, has the largest number of cities and towns hit by heavy rain. According to the civil defense, more than 21 municipalities are on emergency alert, including the capital city, São Luís. The Maranhão state Military Fire Department estimates that more than 1,358 families are homeless, and another 2,954 are displaced.
Edited by: Daniel Lamir
