At least eleven people have died and one remains missing as a result of the violent storm that hit the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro and its metropolitan area in the early hours of Sunday, flooding numerous streets, authorities said. local. The storm forced key access roads to the country's second-largest city, such as Avenida Brasil, to be closed for hours and some subway and bus stops to close, especially in the northern area.
Authorities also ordered the closure of parks and canceled rehearsals at samba schools already preparing for the carnival, which is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors in just a month. According to emergency services, a hospital in the north of the country was also without power due to the floods. Rio de Janeiro state governor Cláudio Castro regretted the deaths and said he was working “tirelessly” to prevent further casualties.
Although the storm has already subsided and only light rain is expected for the rest of Sunday, the city council recommended that citizens avoid traveling and stay in a safe place. “Do not force yourself to cross flooded areas; “They are putting their lives at risk,” warned the city’s mayor, Eduardo Paes. In September, heavy rain caused by a cyclone in southern Brazil killed 22 people. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and deadly in Brazil. In 2022, extremely heavy rainfall killed nearly a hundred people in Petrópolis, the former imperial capital in a mountainous area near Rio de Janeiro.