Unprecedented deluge triggers deadly landslides in Brazil
By
Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Apr 3, 2022 2:01 PM EDT
|
Updated Apr 4, 2022 11:29 AM EDT
Over a dozen people are confirmed dead after a torrential rainstorm created extreme landslides and severe flooding.
Deadly and destructive flash floods and landslides swept through communities along the southern coast of Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state as unrelenting downpours pounded the region during the first days of April, unleashing six months' worth of rain in some areas.
Officials announced on Saturday that the deluge has killed at least 14 people, with seven children from the same family among the dead. In Mesquita, one man was electrocuted while attempting to rescue someone from floodwaters.
The worst of the rain and subsequent flooding occurred to the southwest of the seaside city of Rio de Janeiro.
A view shows damage and mudslides caused by heavy rains, in Angra dos Reis, Brazil, April 2, 2022 in this still image obtained by Reuters.
Prefeitura de Angra dos Reis/via REUTERS
In the town of Paraty, where one of the deadly landslides occurred, 12.68 inches (322 mm) of rain fell in one day, which is their average rainfall over a six-month period, according to Reuters. The town's mayor told the news agency that local officials are working to find shelter for more than 70 displaced families in the wake of the disaster. Twenty-two neighborhoods across Paraty have sustained flooding, CNN reported.
In Angra dos Reis, rainfall reached "levels never before registered in the municipality" as over 2 feet (610 mm) fell in 48 hours, local officials said via Al Jazeera.
In a span of 24 hours, emergency workers responded to 850 calls for help and rescued nearly 150 people, Reuters reported. At this early stage, there is no confirmed number of missing.
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The unprecedented rainfall caused streets to turn into raging rivers, with the fast-flowing water sweeping up everything in its path. In its wake, mounds of mud and debris clog streets, bearing witness to the sheer power of water and making it difficult for rescue crews to search for survivors.
This particular part of the world has been hit hard by heavy rain events over the past few months. In February, more than 100 people were killed and hundreds of others left displaced by flooding and landslides in Petrópolis, Brazil, which lies just north of Rio de Janeiro. Another heavy rain event killed nearly two dozen people in northeastern Brazil during the last months of 2021.
Forecasters say the weather system that prompted the latest deluge has since moved away from the area, leaving behind drier weather for continued cleanup and recovery operations. The next threat for rain is likely to arrive Tuesday into Wednesday of this week.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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News / Severe Weather
Unprecedented deluge triggers deadly landslides in Brazil
By Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Apr 3, 2022 2:01 PM EDT | Updated Apr 4, 2022 11:29 AM EDT
Over a dozen people are confirmed dead after a torrential rainstorm created extreme landslides and severe flooding.
Deadly and destructive flash floods and landslides swept through communities along the southern coast of Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state as unrelenting downpours pounded the region during the first days of April, unleashing six months' worth of rain in some areas.
Officials announced on Saturday that the deluge has killed at least 14 people, with seven children from the same family among the dead. In Mesquita, one man was electrocuted while attempting to rescue someone from floodwaters.
The worst of the rain and subsequent flooding occurred to the southwest of the seaside city of Rio de Janeiro.
A view shows damage and mudslides caused by heavy rains, in Angra dos Reis, Brazil, April 2, 2022 in this still image obtained by Reuters.
In the town of Paraty, where one of the deadly landslides occurred, 12.68 inches (322 mm) of rain fell in one day, which is their average rainfall over a six-month period, according to Reuters. The town's mayor told the news agency that local officials are working to find shelter for more than 70 displaced families in the wake of the disaster. Twenty-two neighborhoods across Paraty have sustained flooding, CNN reported.
In Angra dos Reis, rainfall reached "levels never before registered in the municipality" as over 2 feet (610 mm) fell in 48 hours, local officials said via Al Jazeera.
In a span of 24 hours, emergency workers responded to 850 calls for help and rescued nearly 150 people, Reuters reported. At this early stage, there is no confirmed number of missing.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
The unprecedented rainfall caused streets to turn into raging rivers, with the fast-flowing water sweeping up everything in its path. In its wake, mounds of mud and debris clog streets, bearing witness to the sheer power of water and making it difficult for rescue crews to search for survivors.
This particular part of the world has been hit hard by heavy rain events over the past few months. In February, more than 100 people were killed and hundreds of others left displaced by flooding and landslides in Petrópolis, Brazil, which lies just north of Rio de Janeiro. Another heavy rain event killed nearly two dozen people in northeastern Brazil during the last months of 2021.
Forecasters say the weather system that prompted the latest deluge has since moved away from the area, leaving behind drier weather for continued cleanup and recovery operations. The next threat for rain is likely to arrive Tuesday into Wednesday of this week.
In other news:
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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