Flooding and landslides in Brazil prompt Canada to issue travel advisory
Canadians travelling to Brazil are urged to “exercise a high degree of caution” due to heavy rains that have caused flooding and landslides.
“Heavy rains have caused severe flooding and landslides in Brazil, resulting in several casualties,” reads the travel advisory.
VOA reports that as of February 23, eight people have died in Rio de Janeiro due to landslides and floods, and emergency services haven’t been able to reach “hard-hit areas.”
Floods have damaged buildings and infrastructure in parts of Rio de Janeiro.
Affected municipalities include Barra do Piraí, Japeri, Mendes, and Nova Iguaçu. The flooding caused by rains has disrupted essential services such as transportation, power distribution, fuel supply, water and food supply, telecommunications networks, and medical care.
Canadians in Brazil are being urged to “stay away from the affected areas” and “exercise caution.” They’re also being asked to monitor local news and weather reports and to follow local evacuation orders.
“Landslides are becoming more common in Brazil and are the result of heavy rainfall,” reads the advisory. “During heavy rainfall, landslides are more likely to occur.”
According to a weather alert issued by Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology on February 24, parts of the region will continue to see heavy rains and strong winds of up to 40-60 km/h.
In case of wind gusts, people are being warned not to “take shelter under trees, as there is a slight risk of falling and electrical shocks and do not park vehicles near transmission towers and advertising signs.”
The heavy rains are caused by El Niño, a weather phenomenon that happens every two to seven years and can last for nine months to two years.
“El Niño generally generates droughts and heavy rainfalls, which could cause flooding, landslides, and mudslides, and could severely disrupt travel,” states the travel advisory.