The large volume of rain that hit southern Bahia has already claimed 18 fatalities, affected more than 430,000 people and left another 16,000 homeless – and the weather in the coming days should not help to alleviate the situation.
Despite coming in smaller volume, new rain showers are expected for the region at least until Wednesday (29), according to weather forecasts this Monday (27).
Despite losing intensity, any more water can still cause disturbances in places that are already overloaded and with soils worn out from the extreme amounts of the last few weeks.
At this moment, Bahia has 72 municipalities in emergency situation recognized by the State Government, in addition to 58 of them are also in crisis situation due to the floods.
On Monday, Bahia governor Rui Costa (PT) flew over the municipalities of Itapetinga and Itororó, a region heavily affected by the rains, in order to monitor the work of the rescue teams. The official helicopter must also take water, food and medication to the municipality of Itapitanga, which is completely isolated.
According to the latest update by the Civil Defense and Protection Superintendence of Bahia (Sudec), 16,001 are displaced by the rain; 19,580 displaced, two missing and 18 dead. The total affected population, according to data announced by the Civil Defense on Sunday (27), is estimated at 430,869 people.
Task force
Rui Costa reported that a task force of 161 public security personnel made up of military firefighters from Bahia, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Rio Grande do Norte, Maranhão, Paraíba, Sergipe, in addition to the Military Police of Bahia and the highway Federal, is acting in the Operation in the South of Bahia.
There are still 20 vehicles, 10 aircraft, eight boats and a boat mobilized for rescues.
In an interview with CNN on Monday (27), Lieutenant Colonel Manfredo Santana, commander of the 4th Military Fire Brigade of Itabuna, stated that such volume of rain has never been seen in the region at the same time, and that firefighters still operate with the removal of residents of risk areas.
The same observation was made by the Mayor of Itapetinga, Rodrigo Hagge (MDB), who also commented on the lack of drinking water supply in the region – affected by the flooding and damage to the pumps at the supply center.
According to the mayor, heavy rains have been registered in Itapetinga for at least 1 month, but it was the combination of storms and the collapse of nearby dams and dams that caused a historic high in the river that cuts through the region. “It was totally unexpected how this volume of water behaved,” said Hagge.
The city of Salvador said that the situation at the moment is of high alert. The municipal administration also said that the rain registered this month in the capital already has a volume six times greater than expected for the entire month. Rainfall has already reached 355.8mm in the city, according to the meteorological station in Ondina, against the expected volume of 58.1mm.
dam failure
The city of Itambé, municipality in the south of Bahia, warned about the collapse of the Iguá dam on Saturday night (25), due to heavy rains in the region, and said that a strong flood could reach areas of the city.
The municipal administration also asked that all people leave the banks of the verruga river. The city’s Santa Casa de Misericórdia stated that no person needed to be sent to the site.
According to a statement from the city of Vitória da Conquista, a city close to the dam, the Civil Defense and technicians from the City Hall, the Federal Highway Police and Via Bahia monitored the volume of water. The city also informed that no person was injured, and that “no greater damage was found”.
help from other states
On Saturday (25), governors of seven Brazilian states announced that they would send human and material aid to municipalities hit by storms in Bahia.
So far, the governors of São Paulo, Piauí, Maranhão, Espírito Santo, Ceará, Paraíba and Minas Gerais have offered solidarity to those affected by the rains and said they will provide support.
Reference: CNN Brasil
