Deadly deluge, flooding displaces hundreds of thousands

Adriana Navarro
·3 min read
Deadly deluge, flooding displaces hundreds of thousands
(AP Photo/Marcelo Chello)

Landslides and flooding prompted by torrential rainfall in the southeast Brazilian state of São Paulo on Sunday claimed numerous lives and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.

Rain fell in São Paulo -- the capital city of the state as well as the largest city in the nation -- from Wednesday through Sunday, with a total of 3.63 inches (92.20 mm) measured over that time, 2.05 inches (52.07 mm) of which came down in a deluge on Saturday.

"A stalled front led to rain and thunderstorms across São Paulo from Wednesday into Monday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls said of the weather pattern that unleashed heavy rain.

Adding to the impact of the overwhelming deluge, the ground in the region had already been saturated due to what Nichols described as beneficial rainfall earlier in January. On Jan. 16 and Jan. 26, the city recorded 1.97 inches of rain (50.04 mm) and 1.14 inches (29 mm), respectively.

Overall, the city has measured 9.29 inches of rain (236 mm) through the first 30 days of January, well above the normal amount of rainfall for the month of January, which is 7.44 inches (189 mm).

The heavy rainfall claimed at least 19 lives across the state and high waters over the weekend forced some 500,000 families to flee their homes, The Associated Press reported. The death toll was raised to 24 on Monday as rescuers continued to discover victims buried in the mud, according to the AP.

Of the 24, three of the people were from the same family and lost their lives when a landslide destroyed their house in the city of Embu das Artes, according to the municipal government. Four others were rescued by firefighters.

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Four children died in Francisco Morato, the São Paulo state Governor João Doria said. Authorities added that four other people died in Franco da Rocha, and fatalities were also reported in Ribeirao Preto, about 200 miles north of the city of São Paulo, and Jau, which is about 175 miles northwest of São Paulo. Three of those killed had been swept away by floodwaters.

According to a report by Al Jazeera, the São Paulo state government, citing the civil defense body, said at least seven children had died in weather-related incidents.

Doria, who had surveyed the damage by air Sunday, announced he was releasing 15 million reals ($2.8 million) in financial aid to help the 10 most-affected cities and 645 municipalities in São Paulo -- Brazil's most populous state.

The heavy rainfall also disrupted COVID-19 vaccination efforts, prompting the city of São Paulo to cancel scheduled vaccinations. The number of people experiencing homelessness in the city has increased by 30% during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the AP.

Heavy rains have plagued southeastern Brazil since the start of the year, with 19 deaths recorded earlier in the state of Minas Gerais, which borders the state of São Paulo to the north.

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