Rio Under Water

Flooding isn't out of the ordinary for parts of Brazil, but the last 24 hours have been particularly brutal, killing 96 people, destroying homes, and leaving people stranded in schools, at work, and even buses on the highway. Supposedly, it's the worst storm in Rio in 44 years, bringing record levels of rain in a very short period of time.

When Eli first mentioned to me that it was bad, I figured it was yet another one of those flash floods where the streets fill with water and go down after a few hours, like the time I convinced myself I would be stranded in a bus in Centro, and thankfully waded onto higher ground and got to the Metro. Plus, there has been terrible flooding in the past six months, both in Rio's Angra region and in Sao Paulo.

It wasn't until I saw the photos that my stomach dropped and I realize how bad things really were.

Globo - BBC- Estadao

School was canceled, and people were warned not to risk going to work. Mudslides destroyed homes, and the water damage remains to be seen. Yet, despite the tragedy, Cariocas are resilient as always, and used humor to cope, even on Twitter and on video.

My heart goes out to everyone there, and here's to hoping the water recedes quickly and that everything can get back to normal.

Were you in Rio during the flood? How did you spend the worst of the storm?

Comments

[Luís Guilherme]

The fun video is from the last flood.

[mallory elise]

i heard about the flooding on the news last night. shocking really. henrique said he's never seen something like that happen because of rain, i remember the flooding on the coast in santa caterina a few years ago, but it's much different in a crowded city. Sao Paulo has had so much rain in the past few months, but nothing as severe as 100 victims. well, maybe in rain related car accidents. it's raining here now, but not flooding. fortunately my only casualty are my running shoes as the park is now a swamp.

[brazinglish]

I know a lot of people were killed, but I can't stop thinking about people spending 12 hours waiting for a bus, under heavy rain and hungry.
After being so relatively close to the flood in Itajaí a few years ago, my mom refuses to believe nearly 100 people died.

[Ed Tuthill]

Devastating images, and a stark reminder that although Rio is a beautiful city, it is also dangerous in more ways that one. Ironic that one of the things that makes it beautiful (the gorgeous mountain landscapes) are also a source of the danger (landslides).

My heart goes out to all those dealing with this disaster, including my friends and their families in the area.