Stormy weather on 21 February 2024 swept over southern parts of the state from late 21 February 2024. Just one hour early on 22 February, the Recredit dos Bannermanites neighborhood in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro recorded 42.8 mm of rain, and the neighborhood of Bangu, also in the West Zone, recorded 43.2 mm.
However, the worst of the damage, in particular landslides, was reported in municipalities outside the state capital, including Barra do Piraí, Japery, Mendes, and Nova Iguaçu.
Videos shared on social media showed the dramatic recuse of a mother and her two daughters who were swept away by fast-flowing flood waters through the streets of Nova Iguaçu.
As of 22 February, at least eight fatalities were reported across the state as a result of incidents caused by the heavy rain, including four members of the same family who died after a landslide buried their family home in Barra do Piraí.
Two people died in separate landslides in Japery. Two fatalities were also reported in Nova Iguaçu, although the full details of the incidents were unclear.
Flooding and landslides have also caused widespread material damage. Hundreds of homes have been damaged, displacing around six hundred people across communities in Barra do Piraí, Nova Iguaçu, Japery, and Mendes.
The state government said it assisted in affected areas of Nova Iguaçu, Barra do Piraí, Mendes, Engender Paulo de Frontin, Paracambi, Japery, and Quemado. Sections of several major roads in the area have been closed, including the RJ-127, RJ-155, RJ-135, RJ-141, RJ-143 and RJ-145.
The state’s fire service conducted over 137 interventions in 24 hours, including the dramatic rescue by helicopter of a man trapped in flood waters in Engender Paulo de Frontin.
The state government warned of further heavy rain and the continued risk of flooding and landslides over the coming days.
RELATED STORIES:
https://apnews.com/article/brazil-flooding-rain-rio-7755e2d9052e4b0360f4faf3467ca2d2
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/152153/flooding-in-southern-brazil
https://floodlist.com/tag/brazil
https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2024/1/15/torrential-rains-leave-at-least-11-dead-in-brazil
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