Homes destroyed, 106 killed by floods in north-eastern Brazil after 6 days of consecutive rain (UPDATES)

Richard Davies
Floodlist
Tue, 31 May 2022 12:02 UTC

© Municipality of Penedo

Floods in Penedo, Alagoas, Brazil, May 2022

Heavy rain in north-eastern Brazil over the last few days has caused flooding and landslides in the states of Pernambuco, Alagoas and Paraíba. At least one person has died, several injured and hundreds displaced.

Pernambuco

Stormy weather caused flooding and wind damage in parts of Pernambuco state, Brazil on 23 May 2022. Flooding was reported in Olinda and Recife, where the Tejipió river broke its banks. One person was injured as a result of strong winds.

Heavy rain has continued since then in particular in Greater Recife areas. The coastal town of Olinda recorded 199 mm of rain in 24 hours to 25 May, and the city of Recife recorded 196 mm.

As of 25 May Civil Defence reported Pernambuco damage in 8 municipalities, 1 fatality, 1 injured and 447 displaced, mostly in the Greater Recife area.

Alagoas

Some southern areas of Alagoas state saw more than 250 mm of rain in 24 hours on 24 May, which is the amount normally seen for the whole of an average May.

In response to the continued heavy rain, Paulo Dantas, governor of Alagoas, said "At this point, I ask that everyone stay safe. If you live in risk areas, seek shelter as soon as possible." The State Department of Education (Semed) suspended classes in public schools for 48 hours.

Among the worst affected municipalities is Penedo, where authorities declared a state of emergency after recording the highest rainfall totals since 1935, when monitoring began. The municipality said in a period from late 24 May to 25 May the area saw 260 mm of rain, higher than the previous record of 200 mm set in 1945.

Several houses collapsed due to flash flooding and landslides. Seven people were rescued from under the rubble, with one person suffering injuries. Local authorities reported widespread flooding in the municipality has left 300 people displaced, with 129 of them staying in relief shelters.

In the north of the state, the municipality of Jacuípe on the border with Pernambuco, has seen flooding which is expected to worsen as levels of the Jacuípe River rise. As of 25 May the river stood at 5.11 metres, below flood stage of 5.3 metres but rising, according to SEMARH, the state's Department for Environment and Water Resources.

The Paraíba River is also rising, with the city of Viçosa on alert. Likewise the Mundaú river in the municipality of Rio Largo is also approaching flood stage (8.61m) standing at 8.33 as of 25 May 2022 and rising, according to SEMARH.

Paraíba

In the state of Paraíba, the dam of the Tanques Reservoir broke in Pocinhos on 25 May 2022 after continued heavy rain. Local authorities report 6 houses severely damaged or destroyed and 4 people injured.

Comment: Update May 30

Floodlist reports:

Authorities in Brazil report that at least 80 people have now died following severe flooding and landslides in the north east of the country.

© PRF 191 PE

Flooded roads in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, south of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, May 2022.

As reported on 26 May, days of heavy rain triggered flooding and landslides in the states of Pernambuco, Alagoas and Paraíba. Since then and the situation has deteriorated, in particular in Pernambuco.

As of 29 May 2022, National Civil Defence reported 79 fatalities and at least 3,957 people displaced across the state of Pernambuco. A total of 14 cities or municipalities have declared a state of emergency: Recife, Olinda, Jaboatão dos Guararapes, São José da Coroa Grande, Moreno, Nazaré da Mata, Macaparana, Cabo de Santo Agostinho, São Vicente Férrer, Paudalho, Paulista, Goiana, Timbaúba and Camaragibe.

Many more people are thought to be still missing and search and rescue operations are continuing, including in 12 points in the Recife Metropolitan Region. Pernambuco Governor Paulo Câmara announced the allocation of funds for the search and rescue work and also for urgent and infrastructure works in the municipalities affected by the rains. In addition, with the publication of the state decree of emergency, the affected municipalities will also be able to access resources from the National Civil Defence System.

"Our determination to the Social Defense Secretary and the Fire Brigade is that the teams remain on the scene until the last victim is rescued," said Governor Camara.

According to Pernambuco Water and Climate Agency (APAC), as of 27 May 2022, some areas of the state including Ipojuca, São Benedito do Sul, Belém de Maria and Maraial had already seen twice the monthly average rainfall totals. Ipojuca, situated to the south of Recife, recorded 570.5 mm from 01 to 27 May 2022.

Meanwhile in the neighbouring state of Alagoas, Civil Defence reported 2,102 people had evacuated their homes and moved to relief camps, while a further 8,017 were staying with relatives or friends. One person has died in São Miguel dos Campos.

Update May 31

Reuters reports:

Death toll in Brazilian floods rises to 106, 10 still missing

At least 106 people have died and 10 are still missing in Brazil, the government said on Tuesday, as heavy rains tore through urban towns in the northeastern part of the country for a sixth consecutive day.

The governor of the northeastern state of Pernambuco, Paulo Camara, in an interview with local media, said the government's priority was to find those still missing amid mudslides and major flooding.

"We will not stop until we find all those missing. This is a fundamental point at the moment," Camara said.

The National Civil Defense said on Twitter that an alert was in place for the "very high" possibility of more flooding in Pernambuco, including its capital, Recife.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro visited the state on Tuesday and flew over the affected areas. He promised to send help and resources to families who had been impacted.

It is the fourth major flooding event in five months, underlining a lack of urban planning in low-income neighborhoods throughout much of Brazil, where shantytowns are often built on hillsides prone to collapse.

In late December and early January, dozens were killed and tens of thousands were displaced when rains hammered Bahia state, also located in northeastern Brazil. At least another 18 died during floods in the southeastern state of Sao Paulo later in January, while torrential downpours in Rio de Janeiro state killed over 230 the following month.

View also: Flash floods hit Recife in Brazil, streets turn to rivers