Monday, January 24, 2011

In Brazil, the official death toll from heavy rain gets heavier over 800 dead

The official death toll from the weather on 12 January in the mountainous region north of Rio de Janeiro was Sunday, January 23 further increased, reaching 803 deaths. Of these 803 victims, the statement of Civil Defense reported 389 dead and 324 in Nova Friburgo in Teresopolis, the two cities hit hardest by torrential rains and landslides, 65 deaths in Petropolis, 22 and three in Sumidouro two localities.

The list of missing persons currently has 417 names. The mountainous region located about a hundred miles north of Rio was devastated ten days ago by unusually heavy rains. The weather dumped a few hours the equivalent of one month's rainfall in this tourist region, triggering avalanches of mud, broken trees and rocks that have swept everything in their path.

Most victims were surprised in their sleep in the early hours of January 12. Eleven days after the disaster, one of the worst in Brazilian history, this tourist area was still far from a return to normal. Many residents were still in remote villages, where army helicopters refueling in the water and food.

Apart from exceptional rainfall, uncontrolled urbanization hillside and foresight of the authorities, are stigmatized as being responsible for the high number of victims each year in the rainy season during the austral summer. The new president, Dilma Rousseff, who took over on 1 January Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has pledged to implement a plan of prevention and preparedness before the World Cup in 2014.

Some five million Brazilians live in about five hundred at-risk areas throughout the country.
Posted by Manlio Gandolfi at 7:02 AM

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