The past week brought chaos and despair to thousands of Brazilian families living in the country's North and Northeast regions. Heavy rains hit cities in Pará, Maranhão, Acre, and Amazonas, flooding hundreds of homes while others were completely destroyed by currents.
A video circulating on social media captures the moment wooden houses are swept away by currents in the Manaus 2000 community. The rain hit the capital of Amazonas on Saturday morning (25), causing street flooding and landslides. The city currently has 172 flood-affected families sheltered in two schools.
In Manaus, incidents were reported in at least eight neighborhoods. In addition to damage to properties, appliances, and families' few material possessions, many lives were put at risk. In the Sharp community, an area vulnerable to flooding and characterized by insecure housing, two children were submerged after water from a stream flooded their home. Their father managed to rescue them. Two other children in the Zumbi dos Palmares neighborhood were buried after a house collapsed; both were also rescued alive.
Other States
The heavy rains caused disasters in several Brazilian cities over the weekend. In Maranhão, at least 49 municipalities declared a state of emergency. An access road to Vale do Paraíso, for example, was destroyed by a torrent, leaving five villages isolated. According to the Fire Department, more than 1,358 families are homeless and another 2,954 are displaced in the state. Additionally, six people have died in Maranhão since the rains began.
Meanwhile, in Marabá, Pará, more than 1,800 families have been displaced after the rising of the Itacaiúnas and Tocantins rivers—the latter reaching twice its normal level. The rains began on Tuesday (21) and affected several cities across the state.
Higher-than-expected rainfall also affected Acre. Between the early hours of Thursday (24) and Saturday morning (25), Rio Branco, the state capital, received more than 75% of the total rainfall expected for the entire month of March. More than 48 neighborhoods were affected by flooding. Striking images of the submerged city are circulating on social media.
Rondônia and Tocantins also have areas under emergency declarations, with Indigenous communities being the most affected.
Climate Emergency
This alarming scenario is likely to become increasingly common due to climate change. Frequent extreme events are predicted by climate specialists. In response to the events of last weekend, the Minister of the Environment, Marina Silva, and the Minister of Integration and Regional Development, Waldez Góes, visited affected areas in Manaus and Rio Branco.
During a press conference, Marina stated that the government is internally discussing a decree to declare a permanent state of climate emergency in 1,038 municipalities mapped as highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The goal is to establish "continuous actions" with medium- and long-term prevention and adaptation projects.
Declaring a permanent emergency could allow preventive measures—such as soil studies, drainage works, and social assistance efforts—to be fast-tracked.
How to Help
Public and private institutions are launching relief campaigns to collect donations for flood victims. Find out how to help families in Manaus and Acre.
Via CicloVivo.
This article was written by Marcia Sousa. The translation is powered by AI.
