Blumenau City Hall announced the suspension of the 38th Edition of Oktoberfest until next Sunday (8). The measure is already valid from Friday (6).
The decision was announced less than 48 hours after the official opening.
What is the reason for the decision?
The government’s justification is concern about the instability of the weather, as since the beginning of October the city has been hit by heavy rains that have already caused flooding in lower parts of the municipality.
As the forecast for the next few days is for an accumulation of more than 200 millimeters of rain, the organizers of the biggest German festival in the Americas chose to cancel the program that included international shows and even the event’s opening parade.
Reevaluation on Monday
According to the mayor of Blumenau, Mário Hildebrandt (Podemos), the scenario will be reevaluated next Monday, when the rains tend to decrease in the Itajaà Valley region.
The City Hall is also considering extending the end of the party, beyond October 22nd, to compensate for the days that will be suspended.
Flood alert
According to the Civil Defense of Santa Catarina, there is a possibility that the ItajaÃ-Açu river, which cuts through a large part of the Itajaà Valley, could cause flooding in several cities.
The most significant is planned for Blumenau, where waters can reach 12 meters high. Upon reaching this level, much of the north and central regions of the city are expected to experience flooding, including the pavilions at Parque Vila Germânica, where Oktoberfest takes place.
Flight diversion
Due to Oktoberfest, Quero-Quero airport, in Blumenau, is now able to receive commercial flights during the event.
The first landing was scheduled to take place on Thursday afternoon. However, the Azul company aircraft was unable to land due to the city’s weather conditions and was therefore diverted to Navegantes airport, on the coast of Santa Catarina.
Flood history
Traditionally, the month of October is marked by heavy rains in Blumenau.
In fact, it was due to a major flood that the party was created in 1984, as the public authorities at the time believed that the city needed to have a program to ensure that the people could have fun and be happy.
Source: CNN Brasil
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