Heavy rains wreak havoc on Rio

The city of Rio de Janeiro informed that, at 8 pm today (7), the city entered an alert stage, due to records of rain above 25 millimeters (mm) at the stations Jardim Botânico (30.4 mm), Vidigal (26 .8mm) and Mute (25.8mm). According to the Alerta Rio System, more intense rain nuclei continue to act in the regions surrounding the Tijuca massif, causing very heavy rain in these regions. The tendency is for this scenario to remain. Related news: The weekend will see 40 street blocks in Rio de Janeiro. The forecast is for moderate to heavy rain tonight. Rio was in the attention stage from 5:40 pm due to bad weather. The alert stage is the fourth level on a scale of five and means that one or more serious occurrences impact the city or there is a simultaneous incidence of several medium and high impact problems in different regions. Current situation The Light Rail Vehicle (VLT) system, which circulates through the central region of the city, passing through the port area, Rio Branco avenue and Santos Dumont airport, has all its lines paralyzed due to the storm. Stretches of streets with flooding prevent the movement of trains. The trains that connect Parada dos Navios to Santos Dumont airport; Praça XV to Confeitaria Colombo and the Central do Brasil/Santos Dumont Airport line are out of circulation. The City Hall’s Operations Center reported, at 6:30 pm, that traffic congestion in the city was 133% higher. In the center of the city, urban buses stopped circulating. The region of the traditional bohemian neighborhood of Lapa is one of the hardest hit by the flood. There are pockets of water on Rua dos Inválidos, Rua Mem de Sá and Rua Visconde de Rio Branco, in addition to Avenida Gomes Freire and Rua da Relação, where the passenger cars are returning the wrong way. There are records of flooding on Avenida Presidente Vargas. The Mangue canal that accompanies the avenue almost overflowed near Passarela do Samba. The neighborhoods of São Cristóvão and Méier, in the north zone, were badly hit by the rain. Taquara, in the west zone, and Laranjeiras and Catete, in the south zone, are completely flooded. Avenida Brasil flooded Avenida Brasil, the main link with the neighborhoods in the port area, north and west, is flooded. Not even the buses are getting through. SuperVia trains are practically out of circulation, due to pockets of water that hit the railway network in several sections. The railway line has flooded and trains are not leaving the Central do Brasil terminal. Due to the storm that hit Rio from 3pm onwards, the city’s routine changed. The transport system by city buses, trains and subways has practically come to a standstill. The City Hall’s Operations Center recommends that people remain in safe places, avoiding going out on the streets because traffic is complicated and there are several streets and avenues blocked. According to a survey by the Operations Center, there are 62 water reservoirs in the city and flooding on Getúlio Street, in Cachambi, in Campo de São Cristóvão and on the Jequiá River road, on Ilha do Governador. The plaster ceiling of the Nova América shopping mall, in Del Castilho, in the north zone, collapsed due to the storm, but no one was injured. The area has been cordoned off. The shopping center remains open to the public.

Agência Brasil