Brazil’s Acre River bursts its banks leaving 12,000 families displaced from their homes following torrential rain and devastating landslides
At least 12,000 families have been forced from their homes after heavy rains caused rivers and streams to overflow, the Brazilian state of Acre said.
The government said on Tuesday that 17 of the state’s 22 municipalities are under a state of emergency due to the devastating rains.
Jordão has been hardest hit by flooding as 80 percent of the population was forced to take shelter while heavy rains continued to inundate the area.
At least 23 indigenous communities in inland Acre have also been affected by flooding, inundating homes and businesses.
Dozens of people have already been confirmed dead in parts of Brazil following cataclysmic February rains – and tragically the toll is expected to rise.
Epitaciolândia is one of 17 cities in the northwestern Brazilian state of Acre that are under a state of emergency after heavy rains caused rivers and streams to overflow. The government said on Tuesday that more than 11,500 people were still displaced from their homes
In Brasileia, Brazil, a church was partially submerged after flooding from heavy rains caused the bank of the Acre River to burst.
The state health department office was flooded after the Acre River overflowed in Acre, the capital of the Brazilian state of Acre
A 20-year-old man, identified as Elias Lima, was reported missing after swimming with friends in a stream on Sunday as rain drenched the city of Rio Branco.
Authorities launched a search on Monday and Lima was still missing as of Tuesday evening.
Flooding in the city of Brasiléia, more than 200 kilometers west of Rio Branco, the state capital, will cause the water level of the Acre River to rise to 14.5 meters by Tuesday afternoon.
The water flooded the José Augusto Metal Bridge and dumped waste over it. The bridge, which connects Brasiléia with the city of Epitaciolândia, has been closed to traffic since Sunday.
The José Augusto Metal Bridge also connects Brasiléia to Assis Brasil, a border town opposite Peru.
Several young men were seen swimming in a stream in Rio Branco on Sunday before a 20-year-old, identified as Elias Lima, was swept away by a current. He remained missing since Tuesday
Road closures were intended to allow authorities to transport 30 patients in canoes from Epitaciolândia and Xapuri to Brasiléia on Monday to ensure they receive their scheduled dialysis treatments on Monday.
The flooding in Acre came after the southern Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro suffered flooding in several cities after the area was lashed by heavy rains between Wednesday and Thursday.
A 29-year-old man who dreamed of one day becoming a firefighter prevented three more when he rescued a woman and her one-year-old twin daughters who were trapped in their family car moments before the vehicle was swept away.
Residents of the municipality of Paracambi held a demonstration at the town hall on Sunday, protesting against the local government’s slow response in removing debris from the streets.
This follows news that at least 40 people have been killed after floods and landslides hit São Paulo’s northern coast last weekend.
The state government of São Paulo reported that 39 residents, including a nine-month-old baby, were murdered in the municipality of Sao Sebastião.
A seven-year-old girl was found dead under a rock in her home in the nearby town of Ubatuba.
According to the São Paulo state government, the storm struck between Saturday and Sunday, displacing 1,730 residents and leaving 766 homeless.
Rescue teams worked around the clock on Monday to find at least 36 residents reported missing in the towns of Barra do Sahy and Juquehy.