Bahia Governor Rui Costa told reporters in Ilheus, one of the worst-affected districts, that nearly 40 towns in Bahia were hit by floods.
“This is a great tragedy. I can’t remember seeing anything like this in the recent history of Bahia, given the number of towns and houses involved. It is really terrifying, there are so many houses and streets completely submerged.” “.
More than 35,000 people have been displaced from their homes, according to Bahia’s Civil Defense and Protection Agency.
In the town of Itampe, torrential rain caused a dam to burst late Saturday, sparking fears and fears of more flooding.
Brazilian meteorological and natural disaster agencies are warning of the risk of additional flooding and landslides in Bahia, with rain likely to continue until at least Tuesday.
Robert Shackleford, a CNN meteorologist, says the Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology has issued warnings of heavy rain for nearly all of Bahia. He said conditions in the state are expected to improve on Monday and Tuesday.
“Heavy precipitation over the next 48 hours is improving slightly, with most of the state dropping to 50mm, but there are isolated local areas where it can be as low as 100mm.”
Most of the major flood-affected cities are in the rainy season, Shackleford said, so heavy rains are not uncommon.
“December is the wettest month in Itambe, with about 120 mm of rain falling in December. So this event is expected to fall around two-thirds of the month.”
