Rescuers in boats and planes raced against the time Sunday to reach isolated residents in Brazil’s hilly southeast, where storms and torrential rains killed at least 20 people.
With more rain expected Sunday, the downpour pummeled the Brazilian states of Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo, where authorities reported a chaotic scenario caused by floods.
The death toll jumped from four to twelve on Sunday as rescuers moved in.
Mimoso do Sul, a town of over 25,000 people in the south of Espirito Santo, was the most devastated municipality, with at least 10 people killed in floods, though officials worry the toll will increase further.
State Governor Renato Casagrande described the situation as “chaotic,” stating that it has not yet been possible to examine the damage in some of the most remote locations, raising concerns that the toll could rise further.
At least eight people have been killed in the neighboring state of Rio de Janeiro, according to officials, with landslides being the most common cause.
Four people were killed in Rio State when the storm forced a house to collapse in Petropolis, 70 kilometers (45 miles) inland from the capital.
Search teams discovered a girl who had been buried for more than 16 hours. Her father, who was discovered dead next to her on Saturday, had “heroically protected the girl with his body,” a neighbor told AFP.
The deluge happened as Brazil, South America’s largest country, has experienced a recent spate of extreme weather events, which experts say are increasingly likely to occur as a result of climate change.
Such environmental disasters “are intensifying with climate change,” President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wrote on X, formerly Twitter, adding that the storm had left thousands homeless.
He expressed compassion for the victims and stated that his government was collaborating with state and municipal officials to “protect, prevent, and repair flood damage.”
According to a message issued by an emergency committee made up of Rio government and civil defense authorities, around 90 individuals had been rescued since Friday.
Images from local media showed rivers of water, mud, and debris gushing down slopes in scenic Petropolis, which was devastated by another severe storm in February 2022, killing at least 241.
In Mimoso do Sul, a fire truck was dragged down a street by currents, and photographs released Saturday by the state fire service showed entire neighborhoods underwater, with only the roofs of buildings visible.
The National Institute of Meteorology forecast a severe storm, particularly in Rio, with rainfall of 20 cm (7.9 inches) every day from Friday to Sunday. Normally, the area receives 14 cm (5.5 inches) of rain throughout March.
Rio authorities declared an administrative holiday on Friday as the storm neared, urging residents to stay at home.
The storm comes after a record hot wave in which humidity helped push the heat index above 62 degrees Celsius (143 degrees Fahrenheit).