With thousands homeless, Rio Branco must suffer from more heavy rains

The National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet) issued today (26) a new alert for heavy rains, with strong winds, for regions that have been hit by rain showers since Thursday (23), including the capital of Acre, Rio Branco, where more than a thousand people were left homeless. The level of the Acre River, which crosses Rio Branco along with its igarapés, surpassed 16.51 meters this Sunday afternoon (26), an increase of more than seven meters above the level recorded before the rains. The overflow quota is 14 meters. This means that several locations were flooded. According to official data, 48 neighborhoods in Rio Branco were flooded and more than 32,000 people were harmed. By early afternoon, around 1,050 people were homeless, with nowhere to go and being taken into shelters. Another 2,180 people were displaced – they had to leave their homes but have nowhere to go. The rains continued in Rio Branco this Sunday (26), and the level of the Acre River has not stopped rising. According to Inmet, the forecast is for precipitation of up to 100 millimeters of rain between the morning of this Sunday until 11 am on Monday (27). This after the capital of Acre received 203 mm in two hours last Friday, equivalent to almost the entire volume expected for the month of March. The orange alert for heavy rains also covers other states in the North and Northeast, such as Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins and Maranhão, where at least 49 cities have already declared a state of emergency and had the measure approved by the state government. In Manaus, 172 families are homeless, according to the city hall. Earlier, ministers Marina Silva (Environment and Climate Changes) and Waldez Góes (Integration and Regional Development), visited the affected areas in Manaus and promised quick actions and resources to assist the population. Before, they were also in Rio Branco.

Agência Brasil