The heavy rains in Pernambuco have already caused the death of at least 100 people, according to a bulletin updated by the Integrated Center for Regional Command and Control of Pernambuco on Tuesday (31). Searches for 16 people continue; 14 of them would be buried.
In an interview with CNN This Tuesday, the national secretary of Civil Defense, Colonel Alexandre Lucas, said that many of the deaths resulting from the storms could be avoided.
“Yes, it would be possible to avoid many deaths if we had a culture of risk perception and behavior”, he pointed out, explaining that for this to be possible there is “public investment bias” and “people’s behavior” in the face of the alerts issued .
The prevention actions of the public power highlighted by the colonel include containment of slopes, housing and removal of people. However, he highlighted that it is a “very big challenge, as it depends on the budget and technical capacity of the municipalities to carry out the works”.
As for the reaction of the population, Lucas noted that it is necessary for people to remain attentive to the alerts issued by the authorities and to leave their homes when instructed or, in the case of those who live in risk areas, in situations of heavy rain.
“So it is an alignment of public investment, capacity building, robust municipal civil defenses and contingency plan training with the community so that it adopts protection measures”, he said.
In all, 436 firefighters from Pernambuco and other states are engaged in the search. The Civil Defense, Armed Forces, SAMU, Federal Highway Police (PRF) and municipal bodies also assist in operations in four landslide areas and two places where two people were reportedly taken by the floods. All occurrences are in the Recife Metropolitan Region, according to the Integrated Regional Command Center.
Regarding the release of aid to the affected municipalities, the secretary said that the agency may start releasing the requested resources this Tuesday, “considering that yesterday the state decree and recognition of the federal government was published”. He also pointed out that the Ministry of Citizenship is already releasing funds to cities.
“There is no bureaucracy, but there is minimal information that municipalities need to include in the form. We analyze it and, on the same day or the next day, the resource is released”, he pointed out.
Source: CNN Brasil
