Flooding in Brazil

Heavy rainfall in Brazil caused flooding in Acre State, affecting almost 40,000 people.

The flooding started on 25 February, and affected 17 of the state's 22 municipalities. Days of torrential caused water levels to rise to record levels in some areas, with the Acre River reaching 15.56 m. Other rivers affected included the Purus, Tarauacá, and Juruá, which caused floods in the cities of Rio Branco, Xapuri, Santa Rosa do Purus, Jordão, and Marechal Taumaturgo, among others.

75% of the municipality of Brasiléia flooded, and the city of Brasiléia was unreachable by road. It is estimated that 80% of Jordão was affected by the Tarauacá River flooding. The floods caused difficulty in delivering relief to affected areas, flooding roads and damaging bridges. Thousands of people lost power supplies, and some hospitals were also flooded, causing further difficulty in emergency response. It is estimated that 18,000 people have been left homeless by the extensive flooding.