From 17 to 29 January 2020, heavy rainstorms in the Southeast Region of Brazil have caused widespread flooding and landslides in the states of

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literall ...

, Espírito Santo and

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of the same name, Brazil's List of Brazilian states by population, third-most populous state, and the List of largest citi ...

, being associated with Subtropical Storm Kurumí. The state capital of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, reported it was the highest rainfall in over 110 years. As of 30 January 2020, at least 70 people have died with 18 still missing, and an estimated 30,000 to 46,500 people have been displaced from their homes. The flooding coincided with the first anniversary of the 2019 Brumadinho dam disaster which killed 270 people.

Flooding

Enchente do Rio Piracicaba na Prainha, Coronel Fabriciano MG2

Heavy rainfall began on 17 January 2020 and led to

flash flood A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice or snow flowing ...

ing and

landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of environments, ...

s in the south-east of Brazil, flooding to many houses and neighbourhoods. This was primarily reported in the states of

, Espírito Santo and

. By 27 January 2020, the rain had largely subsided but was expected to continue throughout the week. In the state of Minas Gerais, more than 15,000 people were evacuated as a result of the heavy rain and subsequent flooding. 10,000 people were evacuated from Espirito Santo along with 6,000 people from Rio de Janeiro. The city of Belo Horizonte saw of rainfall within a 24-hour period on 23–24 January; this was the highest such measurement in 110 years. Flooding in the city was reported on 29 January and led to the collapse of the roof of a mall. Reports emerged of several collapsed bridges and damaged roads in rural parts of Minas Gerais. Over 100 cities across the three states declared a state of emergency. Brazilian President

Jair Bolsonaro Jair Messias Bolsonaro (; born 21 March 1955) is a Brazilian politician and retired military officer who has been the 38th president of Brazil since 1 January 2019. He was elected in 2018 as a member of the Social Liberal Party, which he turn ...

announced the deployment of the

Brazilian Armed Forces The Brazilian Armed Forces ( pt, Forças Armadas Brasileiras, ) are the unified military forces of the Federative Republic of Brazil. Consisting of three service branches, it comprises the Brazilian Army (including the Brazilian Army Avia ...

to the affected regions. Governor of Minas Gerais Romeu Zema stated that the hardest-hit areas were in areas where "people lived in informal and precarious housing". The Brazilian federal government allocated US$20 million for relief efforts in the affected regions while the state government of Minas Gerais allocated up to US$80 million. The United Nations offered its assistance and support to the Brazilian government. On 30 January, President Bolsonaro visited affected parts of Minas Gerais. The large coffee fields of Minas Gerais have been largely unaffected by the flooding, according to farmers. Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer. The town of

Sabará Sabará is a Brazilian municipality located in the state of Minas Gerais. The city belongs to the Belo Horizonte metropolitan region and to the associated microregion. It is a well preserved historic city and retains the characteristics of a ...

established vaccination points against

Hepatitis A Hepatitis A is an infectious disease of the liver caused by ''Hepatovirus A'' (HAV); it is a type of viral hepatitis. Many cases have few or no symptoms, especially in the young. The time between infection and symptoms, in those who develop the ...

and

tetanus Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is a bacterial infection caused by '' Clostridium tetani'', and is characterized by muscle spasms. In the most common type, the spasms begin in the jaw and then progress to the rest of the body. Each spasm usuall ...

in the city, which was heavily hit by the flooding. Heavy rainfall continued into February and spread towards parts of neighbouring

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

. The southern Brazilian regions of Paraná, São Paulo and

Mato Grosso do Sul Mato Grosso do Sul () is one of the Midwestern states of Brazil. Neighboring Brazilian states are (from north clockwise) Mato Grosso, Goiás, Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Paraná. It also borders the countries of Paraguay, to the southwest, a ...

had the highest risks of flooding.

References

External links

Defesa Civil de Minas Gerais
{{in lang, pt 2020 disasters in Brazil Brazilian floods and mudslides Brazilian floods and mudslides Floods in Brazil Landslides in Brazil January 2020 events in Brazil South Atlantic tropical cyclones

Flooding

See also

References

External links