Flooding in Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro States, Brazil - March 2024
by Richard Davies, floodlist
Storms with torrential rain caused widespread flooding and multiple landslides in the neighbouring states of Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in late March 2024.
Rio de Janiero State
According to reports from the state government of Rio de Janeiro, the city of Petrópolis recorded 196 mm of rain in 12 hours on 22 March.
The rain continued to fall and as of 25 March, Petrópolis had recorded 366 mm in 72 hours. Teresópolis recorded 306 mm of rain during the same period, according to the state government.
The state Fire Department responded to 222 incidents related to the rain, including the rescue of over 140 people.
Eight people lost their lives in floods and landslides in the state. Fatalities were reported in Petrópolis; Teresópolis; Arraial do Cabo; and Duque de Caxias. Other affected areas included Nilópolis, Guapimirim, Bom Jesus de Itabapoana, Itaperuna, Campos dos Goytacazes, Belford Roxo and Magé.
Dozens of homes were damaged or destroyed, displacing 767 people.
Espírito Santo State
The same severe weather system also dumped torrential rain in areas of the neighbouring state of Espirito Santo.
According to figures provided by the state’s civil defence, the city of Bom Jesus do Norte, situated on the Itabapoana River which forms the state border, recorded 304.6 m of rain in 24 hours to 23 March 2024. Mimoso do Sul recorded 220 mm and Muniz Freire recorded 175.4 mm during the same period.
The state government reported flooding and landslides caused severe damage across the municipalities of Vargem Alta, Guaçuí, Alfredo Chaves, Mimoso do Sul, Apiacá, São José do Calçado, Bom Jesus do Norte, Alegre, Jerônimo Monteiro, Muqui, Muniz Freire, Atilio Vivácqua and Rio Novo do Sul, among others.
Communities in the municipality of Mimoso do Sul were hardest hit. The Muqui do Sul river at Mimoso do Sul jumped from under 2 metres to well over 9 metres in the space of a few hours early on 23 March 2024. As of 26 March, 18 people had died and one was still missing in the municipality.
Fatalities were also reported in Apiacá, where a further two people were still missing, as of late March.
In total over 20,000 people were displaced across affected areas, in particular Mimoso do Sul (10,100 displaced), Apiacá (4,332 displaced) and Bom Jesus do Norte (3,064 displaced).
Images
Image 1 & 2: Flood damage in the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil, March 2024. Image credit: Government of Espirito Santo
Image 3: Levels of the Muqui do Sul river at Mimoso do Sul, Espirito Santo, Brazil, March 2024. Image credit: CEMADEN
By Karen O'Regan April 11, 2024, 11:56 a.m.