April 2010 Rio de Janeiro floods and mudslides
Encyclopedia
The April 2010 Rio de Janeiro floods and mudslides was an extreme weather
event that has affected the State of Rio de Janeiro
in Brazil
in the first days of April 2010. At least 212 people have died, 161 people have been injured (including several rescuers), while at least 15,000 people have been made homeless. A further 10,000 homes are thought to be at risk from mudslides, most of them in the favela
s, the shanty town
s built on the hillsides above downtowns. Damage from the flooding has been estimated at 23.76 billion reais
(US$13.3bn, €9.9bn), about 8% of the gross domestic product
(GDP) of Rio de Janeiro State.
The flooding has particularly affected the city of Rio de Janeiro
, where at least 60 people have died, and its surrounding area. Deaths have also been reported in the cities of Niterói
(132), São Gonçalo
(16), Paracambi
(1), Paulo de Frontin (1), Magé
(1), Nilópolis
(1) and Petrópolis
(1). Several municipalities, including Niterói and municipalities to the east such as Maricá
and Araruama
, have declared states of emergency
or of public calamity. The Governor of Rio de Janeiro State, Sérgio Cabral, declared three days of official mourning for the dead.
Heavy rain started at around 5 p.m. local time (2000 UTC) on Monday 5 April in Rio de Janeiro city, and continued for 24 hours, with a total of 28.8 cm (11½ in.) of rain falling, more than was predicted for the whole of April and the heaviest rainfall for thirty years. Rio de Janeiro mayor Eduardo Paes
admitted that the city's preparedness for heavy rainfall had been "less than zero," but added "there isn’t a city that wouldn’t have had problems with this level of rainfall."
A further landslide hit a slum in Niteroi
late on April 7. It is thought to have killed at least 150, although the toll is expected to rise. Around 200 people were missing in the town as of April 13.
After nearly 300 landslides hit the area, the statue of Christ the Redeemer
was cut off from traffic for the first time in history.
More than 300 homes were bulldozed after the landslides, and it is estimated that close to 12,000 families will need to be relocated by 2012 due to the damage from the floods.
Extreme weather
Extreme weather includes weather phenomena that are at the extremes of the historical distribution, especially severe or unseasonal weather. The most commonly used definition of extreme weather is based on an event's climatological distribution. Extreme weather occurs only 5% or less of the time...
event that has affected the State of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro (state)
Rio de Janeiro is one of the 27 states of Brazil.Rio de Janeiro has the second largest economy of Brazil behind only São Paulo state.The state of Rio de Janeiro is located within the Brazilian geopolitical region classified as the Southeast...
in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
in the first days of April 2010. At least 212 people have died, 161 people have been injured (including several rescuers), while at least 15,000 people have been made homeless. A further 10,000 homes are thought to be at risk from mudslides, most of them in the favela
Favela
A favela is the generally used term for a shanty town in Brazil. In the late 18th century, the first settlements were called bairros africanos . This was the place where former slaves with no land ownership and no options for work lived. Over the years, many freed black slaves moved in...
s, the shanty town
Shanty town
A shanty town is a slum settlement of impoverished people who live in improvised dwellings made from scrap materials: often plywood, corrugated metal and sheets of plastic...
s built on the hillsides above downtowns. Damage from the flooding has been estimated at 23.76 billion reais
Brazilian real
The real is the present-day currency of Brazil. Its sign is R$ and its ISO code is BRL. It is subdivided into 100 centavos ....
(US$13.3bn, €9.9bn), about 8% of the gross domestic product
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
(GDP) of Rio de Janeiro State.
The flooding has particularly affected the city of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, where at least 60 people have died, and its surrounding area. Deaths have also been reported in the cities of Niterói
Niterói
Niterói is a municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeast region of Brazil. It has an estimated population of 487,327 inhabitants and an area of ², being the sixth most populous city in the state and the highest Human Development Index. Integrates the Metropolitan Region of Rio de...
(132), São Gonçalo
São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro
São Gonçalo is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. It is located at 22 ° 49'37 "south latitude and 43 º 03'14" west longitude at an altitude of 19 meters. Its population in 2008 is 982,832 inhabitants, being the second most populous city in the state after the capital...
(16), Paracambi
Paracambi
Paracambi is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. Its population was 43,011 and its area is 179 km²....
(1), Paulo de Frontin (1), Magé
Magé
Magé is a city and a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro.Magepe-Mirim was established in 1566 by Portuguese colonists...
(1), Nilópolis
Nilópolis
Nilópolis is a city and a municipality in Brazil, located in the Rio de Janeiro state's southwestern region, bordering São João de Meriti, Mesquita and Rio de Janeiro. It is the smallest municipality in Rio de Janeiro state, with a total area of 19.39 km². The population of 157,483 inhabitants...
(1) and Petrópolis
Petrópolis
Petrópolis , also known as The Imperial City of Brazil, is a town in the state of Rio de Janeiro, about 65 km from the city of Rio de Janeiro....
(1). Several municipalities, including Niterói and municipalities to the east such as Maricá
Marica
In Roman mythology, Marica was a nymph, the mother of Latinus. Latinus was fathered by Faunus, who was also occasionally referred to as the son of Marica. The sacred forest near Minturnae was dedicated to Marica. A lake nearby was also named after her....
and Araruama
Araruama
Araruama is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. It is located 118 km east of the city of Rio de Janeiro on national highway number 106, Rod Admiral Peixoto. Its population was 97,701 and its area is 634 km²....
, have declared states of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
or of public calamity. The Governor of Rio de Janeiro State, Sérgio Cabral, declared three days of official mourning for the dead.
Heavy rain started at around 5 p.m. local time (2000 UTC) on Monday 5 April in Rio de Janeiro city, and continued for 24 hours, with a total of 28.8 cm (11½ in.) of rain falling, more than was predicted for the whole of April and the heaviest rainfall for thirty years. Rio de Janeiro mayor Eduardo Paes
Eduardo Paes
Eduardo da Costa Paes is a Brazilian politician who is currently the mayor of the city of Rio de Janeiro, having defeated Fernando Gabeira in the 2008 Elections.-References:...
admitted that the city's preparedness for heavy rainfall had been "less than zero," but added "there isn’t a city that wouldn’t have had problems with this level of rainfall."
A further landslide hit a slum in Niteroi
Niterói
Niterói is a municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeast region of Brazil. It has an estimated population of 487,327 inhabitants and an area of ², being the sixth most populous city in the state and the highest Human Development Index. Integrates the Metropolitan Region of Rio de...
late on April 7. It is thought to have killed at least 150, although the toll is expected to rise. Around 200 people were missing in the town as of April 13.
After nearly 300 landslides hit the area, the statue of Christ the Redeemer
Christ the Redeemer (statue)
Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; considered the largest Art Deco statue in the world and the 5th largest statue of Jesus in the world. It is tall, including its pedestal, and wide. It weighs 635 tonnes , and is located at the peak of the Corcovado...
was cut off from traffic for the first time in history.
More than 300 homes were bulldozed after the landslides, and it is estimated that close to 12,000 families will need to be relocated by 2012 due to the damage from the floods.
See also
- January 2010 Rio de Janeiro floods and mudslidesJanuary 2010 Rio de Janeiro floods and mudslidesThe January 2010 Rio de Janeiro floods and mudslides was an extreme weather event that affected the State of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in the first days of January 2010. At least 85 people died, with at least 29 people in the Hotel Sankey after it was destroyed by landslides, and many more have been...
- January 2011 Rio de Janeiro floods and mudslidesJanuary 2011 Rio de Janeiro floods and mudslidesA series of floods and mudslides took place in in several towns of the Mountainous Region , in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. Casualties occurred in the cities of Nova Friburgo, Teresópolis, Petrópolis, Sumidouro and São José do Vale do Rio Preto. The floods caused at least 903 deaths,...
- 2010 Northeastern Brazil floods2010 northeastern Brazil floodsThe 2010 northeastern Brazil rains caused widespread flooding in the second half of June 2010. The flooding has mainly hit Alagoas and Pernambuco, where entire villages were carried away, killing dozens and causing hundreds to disappear....