Friday, January 6, 2012

Rio de Janeiro hit by floods and mudslides

Source: The Star

Rio de Janeiro was hit by floods around this time last year, which left 903 people dead. The same happened in April the year before in 2010. This year again, news around the world is reporting floods and mudslides in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state.

Emergency teams are on maximum alert as heavy rains that have displaced 35,000 residents were forecast to continue, reviving fears of mudslides and flooding that killed more than 900 people early last year.

Related articles:
Brazil is flooded once more.. Aljazeera
Part of a highway in Campos, 230km from Rio de Janeiro, was washed away after several days of heavy rains [Reuters]

Burst dike forces thousands to flee Brazil town..MSNBC
A girl stands on the top of the roof of her house, where her family has gathered belongings in Campos, Rio de Janeiro State, after floodwaters burst a nearby dike on Jan. 5, 2012. Leonardo Berenger/Parceiro / AFP - Getty Images

4,000 Brazilians evacuated as dike bursts after heavy rains..CNN
People watch water run through a washed-out road Thursday in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state

According to The Star,
Residents scrambled to gather their belongings and flee in the Tres Vendas district of Campos de Goytacazes in the north of the state, after a dike ruptured, sending water rushing through the streets.

Emergency workers said more than 1,000 families from Tres Vendas were evacuated to shelters. More..Rio de Janeiro on maximum alert as towns flood

A video posted by Reuters of the flooding so far.


Rio de Janeiro will be hosting two major football tournaments - the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

8 comments:

  1. Floods are scary sometimes.
    Thanks that the place I stay is good and away from floods.

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  2. Starting the new year with this natural disaster sure isn't good. :(

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  3. the only reason the girl is safe & the belongings could be salvaged is that the roof is flat.

    that won't happen in m'sia.

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  4. wow, that is scary, seems like flood is now almost everywhere causing detrimental disasters one place after another!!

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  5. Keeyit, yeah, seeing rising water around you can be scary. I'm happy for you that your place is away from floods.

    Lina, so true. Hope better times ahead for all.

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  6. Bananaz, Mother Earth is crying because we are not taking care of it?

    Doc, great observation! Perhaps houses need to be built with a flat rooftop in flood-prone areas?

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  7. SK, effects of global-warming? Icebergs are breaking away causing water level to rise. I read that people in parts of Netherlands are evacuating due to floods hitting their homes.

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