Heavy rains ravage Brazil: nearly 20 dead, two dams broken | Abroad

Residents of the northeastern region of the country, many of whom are already homeless, are urged to seek safe refuge. “A dam that is retaining a very large volume of water has broken. And very soon a large water jet should enter the town of Itambé. All residents should stay away from the Verruga River, “the city council warned in an Instagram post. It was the Igua dam that broke down on Saturday evening.

Sunday morning, a second dam also failed, about a hundred kilometers to the north, near the town of Jussiape. Authorities in Jussiape also issued a warning.

Two weeks of rain flooded northeastern Brazil, in particular the state of Bahia. Bahia Governor Rui Costa dos Santos said 37 towns were now underwater. More than 11,000 people were left homeless as a result of the floods. At least 4,185 victims, spread across 19 cities, need emergency shelter. “At the moment, the safety of citizens is our greatest concern. We do everything to save them, to bring them down from the roofs of their houses with boats, “said the governor. Food, warm sheets and mattresses are distributed.

The Bahia state government and the Brazilian federal government, in cooperation with other states, on Saturday sent additional personnel, planes and equipment to affected areas to provide assistance. “We are fully mobilized and are taking all necessary measures to provide support to the victims of the heavy rains which hit Bahia this Christmas,” the governor said in a video message.

In the state capital, Salvador, 250 millimeters of precipitation fell through Friday in December alone. This is five times more than normal according to the city council. In the past 72 hours, according to G1, Salvador has received no less than 150 millimeters of rain.

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According to meteorologists in Salvador, the capital of Bahia, it has already rained six times more than average in December. The Brazilian government has declared a state of emergency in nearly 50 cities in the states of Bahia and Minas Gerais. The Bahia state government and the federal government, in cooperation with other states, on Saturday sent additional personnel, planes and equipment to affected areas to provide assistance.

“We are fully mobilized and are taking all necessary measures to support the victims of the heavy rains which hit Bahia this Christmas,” the governor of Bahia said in a video message.