Flooding in Brazil
Torrential rain in northern Brazil has led to flooding and caused extensive damage. Up to 15 people were killed over the weekend and thousands of people have been driven from their homes.
Two weeks of steady downpours triggered the massive floods. Paraiba state, which is north of Rio, is taking the brunt of the floods, with 15 000 people evacuated and several people drowned. The river overflowed its banks and the walls of a medium-size dam cracked. Residents abandoned their homes to escape the floodwaters that invaded the streets in many towns and cities.
In nearby Piaui state, the floods drove about 19 000 people from their homes and destroyed corn and bean crops. About 30 cities and towns were isolated by washed-out roads. Several thousand people were also displaced in Maranhao, Pernambuco and Ceara states.
These states form part of the Brazilian Plateau, which has a very irregular rainfall pattern. However many places receive less than 750 mm (30 inches) of rain in a year. This district suffers many prolonged droughts, which cause great distress and damage to both agriculture and cattle rearing.
Heavy showers will continue to plague the area and therefore flooding maybe an ongoing problem.
