18 dead, 58 municipalities flooded and 35,000 displaced people. Here is the provisional assessment drawn up by the local authorities this Sunday, December 26 after the violent floods which have affected the State of Bahia (Brazil) since November.
After noticing the death of a 60-year-old man on Sunday, found drowned in a river in the town of Aurelino Leal in the south of the state, the State of Bahia recorded 18 deaths linked to these bad weather. Two people were also reported missing after another violent episode on Sunday.
The Civil Protection of Bahia (Sudec) said that the region had placed 72 municipalities this Sunday afternoon in an emergency situation, including 58 in a state of crisis due to flooding.
In total, 19,580 people have been displaced and 16,001 inhabitants of the state have had to request shelter since the onset of bad weather, bringing the total to 35,000 people driven from their homes by this climatic phenomenon according to Sudec. Since November, 286 citizens have been injured and an estimated 430,869 people have been affected by the rains.
“A gigantic tragedy”
“It’s a gigantic tragedy. I do not remember anything of this dimension in the recent history of Bahia. The number of houses, streets and towns completely underwater is truly terrifying, ”said Governor Rui Costa, who flew over the disaster areas on Sunday morning.
Set up since Saturday, a joint operation between the State of Bahia and the Federal State has mobilized personnel, equipment and helicopters to help the thousands of trapped residents. Other regions of the country, such as Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, Espirito Santo and Sergipe, have cooperated in this huge rescue mission.
Nearly 25 roads have been blocked by floods or landslides across the state, according to Bahia’s infrastructure ministry.