Update, 26 January 2020:
Civil Defence in Minas Gerais said late on 25 January that the number of fatalities has increased to 30, with 17 people reported missing, 7 injured, 620 displaced and 911 homeless.
Civil Defense warned of further flood and landslide risk in 9 cities in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte: Sabará, Rio Acima, Brumadinho, Contagem, Nova Lima, Betim, Ribeirão das Neves and Ibirité, as well as the city of Belo Horizonte.
Original report, 25 January, 2020:
At least 14 people have died after record rain caused flash flooding and landslides in Minas Gerais State in southeast Brazil.
The disaster comes just days after the deadly floods in Espirito Santo on 17 to 18 January, where 6 people died.
Minas Gerais Civil Defence reported 14 people have died in the Greater Belo Horizonte area, including in Belo Horizonte city and the municipalities of Ibirité and Betim. Many of the fatalities occurred as a result of landslides. Civil Defence added that 7 people have been injured and around 3,500 evacuated or left homeless.
Roads were turned to rivers as flood water raged through streets of the Greater Belo Horizonte area. Flooding and landslides damaged or destroyed buildings, including a city hospital. Belo Horizonte Civil Defence said that teams attended over 470 incidents of landslides and flooding across the region on 24 January, 2020.
A total of 171.8mm of rain fell in Belo Horizonte on 24 January. In a statement, Romeu Zema, Governor of Minas Gerais, said the rainfall was the highest recorded in Belo Horizonte.
Civil Defence said that at least 8 locations across the metropolitan area recorded more than 100mm of rain in a 15 hour period on 24 January. Several areas of the state recorded over 300mm of rain in a period from early 23 to late 24 January. Some areas have now seen double the amount of rainfall normally expected in January. Warnings for further heavy rain have been issued.
Brumadinho
Authorities warned that the Paraopeba River is at risk of overflowing in Brumadinho. It is exactly a year ago that 259 people died in the in the municipality of Brumadinho after a mining dam collapsed on Friday, 25 January, 2019, causing a massive mudflow.
Social Media
Carros ficam praticamente submersos no cruzamento da avenida Eduardo Gomes com rua Amintas Jacques de Morais, no bairro Alípio de Melo, em #BeloHorizonte .#chuvabh #ChuvasEmBH pic.twitter.com/Kv8cdUDS1K
— Record TV Minas (@recordtvminas) January 25, 2020
https://twitter.com/anasilvarp/status/1220884983629459456
https://twitter.com/Surtada121/status/1220855441242062856
https://twitter.com/vilaca_alisson/status/1220889213891227649
Lamento profundamente pelas mortes ocorridas, especialmente de uma criança, decorrentes da maior chuva já registrada na história de BH. O @governomg está trabalhando e os órgãos responsáveis estão monitorando as regiões. Siga as recomendações da @defesacivil_mg para se proteger.
— Romeu Zema (@RomeuZema) January 24, 2020
O Governo de Minas lamenta as mortes ocorridas, provenientes das chuvas e tempestades em BH e região metropolitana. Os órgãos responsáveis estão monitorando as aéreas de risco em tempo real. Por isso, não deixe de acompanhar os alertas da @defesacivil_mg para evitar tragédias.
— Governo de Minas Gerais (@governomg) January 25, 2020
Aviso Meteorológico de curto prazo (até as 03h do dia 25/01)
Locais sob influência da intensificação das chuvas. Acumulados entre 70 a 100 mm
Fonte: SIMGE / IGAM pic.twitter.com/yAfHPTADjy
— Defesa Civil MG (@defesacivil_mg) January 24, 2020
#ChuvaEmMinas Gente, quem puder ajudar,minha Cunhada irmã da minha esposa perdeu tudo nessa chuva de BH, agua foi até o teto eles ficou ilhado lá com 3 criança
Não queremos dinheiro Queria apenas quem puder ajudar, Com movéis, cesta básica, roupas ou Compartilha #ChuvaEmMinas pic.twitter.com/czNu2yBwkf— Mc SURFISTÃO BHz (@bhz_mc) January 25, 2020
