Civil Defence in Santa Catarina State of Brazil reports that 12 people have died and 9 are still missing after floods and landslides struck in the Vale do Itajai region on 17 December 2020.
Eleven people died in floods in the city of Presidente Getúlio, where 7 people remain missing. The city recorded 125mm of rain in 24 hours to 17 December. Civil Defence said 1,600 people were affected by the floods, with 284 displaced. Authorities have declared a state of emergency.
A twelfth fatality was reported in Ibirama, where 80 people have been displaced. Two other people are reported missing in Rio do Sul where 90mm of rain fell in 24 hours to 17 December. Thirty-six people have been displaced.
Floods and landslides also caused damages to roads, bridges and infrastructure in the municipalities of Aurora, Apiúna, Ascurra in the Vale do Itajai region, along with areas of Sul Catarinense and Florianópolis regions. Capital of the state, the city of Florianópolis, recorded 91 mm of rain in 24 hours to 17 December.
Teams from Civil Defence, police and fire service are working in the area to provide support for victims, and carry out evacuations and search and rescue operations.
A cyclone hit Santa Catarina and other southern states in July this year, causing floods and wind damage and leaving at least 9 dead.
