Floods and landslides caused by heavy rains affecting the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil from Friday to Sunday, January 28 – 30, 2022, claimed the lives of at least 21 people and left more than 600 families without homes. At least 9 have been injured and many more remain missing.
The deaths were recorded in the municipalities of Francisco Morato, Franco da Rocha, Varzea Paulista, Aruja, and Embu das Artes, all in the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo and in the city of Ribeirao Preto.1
At least 11 died on Sunday after landslides buried several homes in cities in the interior of the state. Heavy rains were also reported in the city of Sao Paulo (population 12 million) but without major incidents.2
One of the worst-hit areas in the state is Franco da Rocha, where four people died in a landslide and six others were rescued.
Firefighters and health workers worked around the clock looking for victims in the mud, but local authorities believe up to 14 people are still missing.3
Meteorologists said the excessive rain is a result of a summer phenomenon — the South Atlantic Convergence Zone (SACZ), a monsoon trough.
Since the start of the rainy season, heavy rains have killed more than 40 people in the states of Bahia and Minas Gerais.
