A country’s most devastating natural disaster in a century

A country’s most devastating natural disaster in a century.

Rio de Janeiro

Location of Flooding

Natural Disaster More rainfall than the expected

monthly amount Worst natural disaster since 1900 Many rivers flooded from the mass

rainfall

Flooding Facts

24 hours between January 11-12 of 2011

6,000 people lost homes 806 confirmed dead

What went wrong?

A periodic cooling of the eastern Pacific, La Niña, is affecting the weather around the world.

Catastrophic rains have become more frequent in Brazil (and elsewhere)

Part of the problem is the rapid growth of the mountain region, now home to 600,000 people. More deaths in the favelas

because the homes are flimsier, most lack foundations, and are located in steep areas known to be at high risk of mudslides

Towns Affected

Nova Friburgo Teresópolis Petrópolis Sumidouro, São José do Vale do Rio

Preto and Areal Preto and Piabanha Rivers

40 miles North of Rio

Mudslides

8,000 people have had to abandon their houses for the fear of future mudslides to their area

Many people still missing

Rescue operations

700 soldiers sent to help in the Serrana area, north of Rio de Janeiro.

Rescue operations are being done byground and air

Rescue continued

Tents are being flown to the area to house some of the 13,400 people who have lost or abandoned their homes in the disaster.

8,000 food baskets have been deployed

Government action

President Dilma Rousseffsaid “we are going to take firm action” Sergio Cabral, governor of Rio

de Janerio: “We have to rebuild road access, restore food, in this process of taking care of the survivors. This is our first step.”

Disaster prevention and the Government

The federal government budgeted 442m reais ($263m) for disaster prevention last year

But only 139m reais was actually spent.

Less than 1% of money for preventive works in a big federal investment plan was used in Rio de Janeiro state last year

Slow reaction to Floods

"There is a culture in Brazil of waiting for something to happen and then responding to it," agency head Humberto Vianna was quoted as saying by the Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper.

Housing in High Risk Areas The government allowed people to

build homes in areas known to become dangerously unstable in the rainy season.

People built houses on steeply sloping areas and right next to rivers

New Prevention Plan

National System for Prevention and Early Warning of Natural Disasters The Brazilian government has said it will

set up an early warning system to alert communities of impending danger.

New radar system National Prevention Center to be

coordinated by the Ministry of Science and Technology

Cost around $288 million 4 years to operate

Brazil Rebuilding

The state government/local construction companies donating a reported 2,000 houses to mudslide victims

Luiz Fernando Pezao (vice-governor)

Health Concerns

Health officials fear outbreak of diseases

Large amounts of contaminated water throughout affected area puts citizens at risk

Health Concerns Cont.

Leptospirosis is most feared disease.

Outbreaks of hepatitis A and typhoid fever are also feared.

Health Concerns Cont. Leptospirosis is easily treatable but

can result in death without proper medical attention.

Hepatitis A and Typhoid fever are also treatable but can become problematic without medical attention.

Impact on Rio

Rio has lost its most reliable resource of fruit and vegetables because farms are buried by mud and rock.

This sent the prices rocketing

Criticism of Government

Complaints that the authorities have been too slow to bring supplies of water, food and medicines.

Brazil has the scientific know-how for preventing and managing floods, but the government failed to harness it adequately

Criticism of Government

• The officials were not dropping off food or water, only rescuing injured people

• The rescuers are not efficiently helping to find survivors or the bodies of loved ones

Comparison to Australia

• December 2010• 43 towns, 3,500

people and 1,400 properties affected.

• 17 people reported dead

• Officials developed early-warning systems and evacuation guides

• Better drainage infrastructure and better quality housing

Citizens’ Reaction

Volunteering Helping with the

sites where the mudslides happened

distribution of donations

coordination of the aid to be able to shelter all the people left homeless

Discussion Questions

Do you think that income inequality within the region affected by the flooding was a factor in government response?

Do you think that because this is a new administration it affected the way rescue operations and disaster prevention was handled?

How do you think the Brazilian government’s response compares to the U.S. government’s response to the Katrina disaster in New Orleans?

Sources

BBC News Online Google Images CBC News Online International Disaster Database Brasil.gov.br CNN News Online