Floods in Brazil Leave 300k + Homeless
At least 40 people have died and the number of homeless is now above 308,000 in the worst flooding in northern Brazil in at least two decades, taking Rio Negro, one of the Amazon Forest’s rivers near to its highest level in more than 50 years.
Government aid delivered mainly though the military is starting to arrive as water levels decreases. In northeastern state of Maranhão, some roads were reopened and officials using trucks and helicopters began distributing tons of food, medicine, mattresses and blankets.
The floods are the result of an unusual two-month siege of rain that caused widespread flooding last week in parts of 10 of Brazil's 26 states. Several states warned that more people could be forced to flee, since the rain may continue and the Amazon River water levels are still very high. The cruel irony is that northeastern states of Brazil are well known for their extended droughts. According to President Lula da Silva climate change is to be blamed for the unusual excessive rains, "some things are changing in the world and we need to start looking at them with more attention," Silva said.
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Tags: Brazil , Flood , Northern , Rio , Negro , Amazon , River , President , Lula , Silva
