State of emergency declared in Rio de Janeiro after storm kills 11 people

The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, declared a state of emergency in the Brazilian city after continuous heavy rains from Saturday night, the 13th, until the end of Sunday, the 14th, led to the death of at least 11 people and left a huge trail of destruction. One person remains missing and is being sought by firefighters: a woman whose car was swept into the River Bothas at Belford Rocks by floodwaters and submerged.

The emergency decree was published in an extraordinary edition of the Municipal Gazette on Sunday evening and is valid for the next 90 days. The emergency will allow the municipal government to reallocate funds from any department or authority to provide relief and emergency services without the need for normal bureaucratic procedures or government tenders to provide services.

Back on Sunday evening, Paes received a call from President Lula da Silva, expressing solidarity with the suffering of the people of Rio. Lula not only showed solidarity, but also provided Rio de Janeiro with the technical tools and equipment the city needs to recover from the tragedy, and promised to quickly release the emergency funds that the city council is requesting to support the affected population and rebuild the destroyed areas and homes.

This Monday the 15th, signs of the destruction caused by severe weather were still visible throughout the city, mainly in the northern part, the most affected, some roads are still flooded, debris everywhere, poles, trees and fallen walls, access Several communities were destroyed, and many houses were left roofless or flooded by rainwater or water from nearby rivers, which overflowed their banks and invaded homes, causing residents to lose everything they owned. It was not until late Sunday night that drivers stranded in their cars on the road leading into Rio’s mountainous region, BR 040, were able to resume their journeys or return to the city, in some cases after 10 p.m. the clock stands still, in the middle of the flood.

During the severe storm, many other drivers also found themselves trapped in their cars on Avenida Brasil, which connects Rio with neighboring cities, from Saturday evening until late Sunday morning, unable to continue driving or turn back, stranded in huge pockets of water. Ronaldo Gasol’s hospital in the north of the city was flooded and without power for many hours, and several fire and police stations were also inundated with water that created a strong current where there used to be a street, making it difficult for the men to move. leave and equipment to help the victims.

But even despite the chaos that the hurricane caused, even disrupting bus and subway services, the courage and solidarity of Civil Protection workers, firefighters and even anonymous people managed to minimize some personal dramas. In one such case, a pregnant woman caught in a hurricane in the middle of the street while she was in labor was rescued by firefighters and taken by boat to the maternity ward, where she gave birth.

The flooding of numerous rivers flowing through the city of Rio de Janeiro and neighboring towns added to the devastating effects of the torrential rain, which fell continuously for more than 24 hours and, in addition to damaging public roads, businesses and homes, caused curious scenes of damage. In some areas of Rio de Janeiro and towns of the so-called Baixada Fluminense, such as Belfort Roxo, alligators, carried away by swollen rivers, swam calmly in the middle of streets and avenues near these waterways.