The storm caused landslides on hillsides, overflowing rivers and violent torrents of mud.
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They cause floods and mudslides in the Recife region. Torrential rains killed at least 100 people in northeastern Brazil, according to a latest official report provided Tuesday, May 31 by local authorities. LSearches are continuing in the most affected areas to find the 14 people who are still missing.
The storm caused landslides on hillsides, overflowing rivers and large torrents of mud that swept away everything in their path. More than 400 firefighters are mobilized, notably in Jardim Monteverde, on the border between Recife and the town of Jaboatao dos Guararapes, where several dozen people were buried by a mudslide.
More than 6,000 people in the Recife region lost their homes and had to be accommodated in reception facilities, according to the authorities. A state of emergency has been declared in 24 municipalities in Pernambuco.
Between Friday evening and Saturday morning, it rained the equivalent of 70% of what is normally expected for the whole of May in certain areas of the state of Pernambuco. The meteorologist Estael Sias, from the MetSul agency, explains to AFP that these heavy rains result from the phenomenon of “oriental waves”.
These are areas of “atmospheric disturbance” moving from the African continent to the Brazilian coastal region. According to experts, this type of tragedy can also be explained by the topography of the place and the presence of large slums, with dwellings mostly built illegally in steep areas at risk.