Rescue operations in southeastern Brazil are confronting diminishing prospects of locating survivors as the death count from catastrophic rainfall climbed to 46. The state of Minas Gerais endured violent downpours on Monday that triggered devastating floods and landslides, submerging streets and sweeping away residential structures.
The city of Juiz de Fora suffered the most severe impact, accounting for 40 fatalities, while the neighboring municipality of Uba reported six confirmed deaths. Official rescue services indicate 21 individuals remain unaccounted for. Meteorological forecasts predicting additional heavy rainfall this week have further complicated recovery efforts, with firefighters publicly expressing pessimism about finding any additional survivors.
Personal tragedies underscore the human cost of the disaster. Josiane Aparecida, a local cook, recounted losing both her aunt and cousin while continuing the desperate search for her cousin’s two young children and their father. Despite maintaining hope, she acknowledged the grim reality of the situation following multiple family losses.
First responders recovered one victim who had heroically saved his wife from their collapsing home before being engulfed by landslide debris. In Uba, residents waded through thick mud to clear sludge from the overflowed Uba River, which reached unprecedented levels according to longtime residents.
The economic consequences are substantial, with local businesses facing catastrophic losses. Hardware store owner Felippe Souza Lima described watching neighbors paddle canoes through flooded streets, while automobile dealer Mauro Pinto de Moraes Filho estimated nearly $1 million in damages from two-meter high flooding.
This catastrophe represents the latest in Brazil’s increasing frequency of extreme weather events. Juiz de Fora’s mayor confirmed the municipality experienced its wettest February in recorded history. The disaster follows 2024’s historic flooding in southern Brazil that claimed over 200 lives and affected two million people, plus the 2022 Petropolis deluge that killed 241 individuals – events scientists increasingly attribute to climate change patterns.