Collapsed bridges. Damaged roads. Over 100 cities across the three states declare a state of emergency. At least 70 dead. Video shows cars being swept down the streets: https://globoplay.globo.com/v/8277638/

“In the Southern Hemisphere Brazil is experiencing one of the rainiest Januaries ever, says reader Luciano de Souza. One of the most affected cities, Belo Horizonte, had the worse rain of its 120 years when in just three hours the water expected from two weeks fell from the sky.”

Since 17 January 2020, heavy rainstorms in the Southeast Region of Brazil have caused widespread flooding and landslides in the states of Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro.

The state capital of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, reported its 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.

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. There are concerns that the city of Belo Horizonte could see up to 10.2 cm (4 inches) of rainfall. Flooding in the city was reported on 29 January and led to the collapse of the roof of a mall.

Over 100 cities across the three states declared a state of emergency

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 announced the deployment of the Brazilian Armed Forces 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 $20 million for relief efforts in the affected regions while the state government of Minas Gerais allocated up to $80 million. Brazil is the world’s largest coffee producer.[12] The town of Sabará established vaccination points against Hepatitis A and tetanus in the city, which was heavily hit by the flooding.

Heavy rainfall is expected to continue into February and spread towards parts of neighbouring Paraguay. The southern Brazilian regions of Paraná, São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul are expected to see the highest risks of flooding.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Brazilian_floods_and_mudslides

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/deadly-floods-landslides-hit-southeastern-brazil-200305093224908.html

At least 24 people have been killed due to floods and landslides in Brazil's southeastern state of Sao Paulo.

Hundreds of volunteers have joined rescue workers in a desperate search through the rubble to try to find 25 people who are still missing in the cities of Guaruja, Santos and Sao Vicente.

Rescue efforts hav