Jorge Wamburg        Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília – The rains of December have severely punished the state of Minas Gerais. During the first 17 days of the month, says the weather bureau, rainfall was 34% above average. Meanwhile, the state Office of Civil Defense (“Cedec”) confirms that, reporting that while normal December rainfall is 320 millimeters for the whole month, a total of 430 millimeters had fallen by last weekend. And with two more weeks to go until the end of the month, the forecast is for more rain.

So far, eighteen municipalities have declared a state of emergency and Cedec has received 42 notifications of “grave problems” due to rainfall, flooding and/or landslides.

There have been serious problems in the capital, Belo Horizonte, and the historical cities of Mariana and Ouro Preto.

Yesterday afternoon (Sunday, December 18), Cedec reported that over 21,000 people had been affected by the rains. In the state, six bridges had been destroyed, over 1,400 homes damaged and two deaths registered.

Allen Bennett – translator/editor The News in English

Link - Chuvas deixam 18 municípios de Minas em estado de emergência