MONSOON RAIN-TRIGGERED LANDSLIDES KILL AT LEAST 500

IN RIO DE JANEIRO STATE, BRAZIL

ALTHOUGH RAINFALL IN MID-JANUARY IS COMMON, A MONTH’S RAINFALL IN 24 HOURS

IS NOTJANUARY 13-14, 2011

Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, University of

North Carolina, USA

LOCATION MAP

SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS

• The intense downpour (26 cm-- 10 in) caused at least one river to burst its banks, submerged cars, destroyed houses, created debris, and left at least 1,000 homeless.

HEAVY RAINFALL

• Hillsides and riverbanks buckled under the equivalent of a month’s rainfall in only 24 hours, sending water and mud surging through communities, killing many as they slept.

LINK WITH LA NINA?

• Brazil is on the Atlantic side of South America, making a link between the disastrous floods and La Nina problematic.

ONE OF THE WORST NATURAL DISASTERS IN

BRAZIL’S HISTORY

Over 500 people were initially reported as killed by the rain-triggered landslides, but this toll may rise due to the large number of missing persons.

IMPACTED TOWNS

• Three towns north of Rio were severely impacted: 1) Novo Friburgo, which had 247 deaths, 2) Teresopolis, with 231 deaths, and 3) Petropolis, with 43 deaths

SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS

• Thousands in the Serrana region, were isolated by the floodwaters and left without food, water, power, and telephone service.

SEARCH AND RESCUE

• About 800 search-and-rescue workers and fire fighters from the state's Civil Defense Department used heavy machinery, shovels and bare hands in attempts to find survivors.

THE DISASTER EXPOSED A FLAW IN LOCAL

CONSTRUCTION POLICY

The magnitude of the disaster was exacerbated by construction in unsafe zones (e.g., floodplains, and unstable slopes), and overall poor quality of the foundations.

NOVO FRIBURGO: “CASH ONLY” FOR GAS

NOVO FRIBURGO: FIRE FIGHTERS

NOVO FRIBURGO:

NOVO FRIBURGO: DEBRIS

AT LEAST 200 KILLED IN TERESOPOLIS, 60 MILES FROM RIO: JAN 14, 2011

TERESOPOLIS

TERESOPOLIS: CHURCH DESTROYED

TERESOPOLIS: DAMAGE

TERESOPOLIS: DAMAGE

TERESOPOLIS: DEBRIS

TERESOPOLIS: DEBRIS

TERESOPOLIS: DAMAGE

TERESOPOLIS: CARS

TERESOPOLIS: CAR

TERESOPOLIS: CAR

TERESOPOLIS: DEBRIS

NOVO FRIBURGO: DEBRIS

TERESOPOLIS: STARTING OVER

TERESOPOLIS: SURVIVORS IN GYMNASIUM

SEARCH AND RESCUE: JANUARY 14

• Continuing rainfall hindered search and rescue efforts.