The government has provided $ 35.5m in disaster relief after 20 deaths, nearly 50,000 refugees due to flooding in Bahia state.
Brazilian government has announced $ 35.5m (200 million Brazilian reais) in disaster relief funds in the northeast of the country, where 20 people died and thousands of people have fled their homes because of flooding.
A total of 116 cities in northeastern Bahia were in danger on Tuesday due to heavy rains that had been hitting the region since late November.
Cities in at least five other counties in northeastern Brazil are also flooded today.
Things in Bahia, with a population of about 15 million, deteriorated very late Christmas night, when many people were forced to leave their homes and move to higher ground after two dams left. Rain is expected to continue in many areas throughout the week.
Front President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently on holiday in the south of Santa Catarina, announced the support service on Twitter earlier on Tuesday.
Brazilian regional development secretary Rogerio Marinho said more aid was being provided. “We are looking forward to a detailed (damage) analysis to see what is needed, and we will do what is needed,” he told reporters.
Bahia Governor Rui Costa said about 50,000 people had fled their homes and 5,000 new homes needed to be built at a cost of $ 71m (400 million reais).
“Great damage,” Costa told reporters. “It looks like Bahia has been blown up.”
For several days, amazing incidents of rescue workers dragging people from a second-floor window have taken place in the greater Bahia area.
Five more dams in Bahia are at risk of explosion, disaster relief officials say. Bridges and state and federal government roads were damaged and rebuilt for food and other necessities to be delivered to the needy.
Government firefighters said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that they were ordering residents to evacuate four towns amid “high risk of flooding”.
This is the worst rainy season in Bahia in the last 32 years, the National Center for Monitoring and Alerts of Natural Disasters, a government agency, said on its website.
To the south of Bahia, rainfall is five times higher than usual this time of year.
