Heavy rains in southeast Brazil’s coastal areas have caused flooding and landslides, killing 36 people and displacing hundreds more, according to a statement issued by Sao Paulo state authorities on Sunday.
Rescue workers are still searching for victims, reconnecting isolated communities, and clearing roads, some of which remain closed, trapping an unknown number of tourists who traveled to Brazil for the Carnival celebrations.
Heavy rains are expected to continue in Sao Paulo’s coastal area, posing a challenge to civil defense and fire department rescue teams and raising the prospect of a higher death toll.
The federal government determined that several ministries would be mobilized to assist victims, restore infrastructure, and begin reconstruction work. After what experts described as an unprecedented, extreme weather event, the state of Sao Paulo declared a 180-day state of calamity for six cities.
According to the statement, Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas will meet with federal officials on Monday to coordinate the response to the tragedy.
According to a local news outlet, operations at the port of Santos, Latin America’s largest, were disrupted on Saturday due to wind gusts exceeding 55 kpm (34 mph) and waves over one meter high.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was celebrating Carnival in Bahia state in Brazil’s northeast, is scheduled to visit the worst-affected areas on Monday, according to his office.
