Flooded shops, rescue operations by boat and fish in the apartment: Heavy rain has caused a record flood in Manaus, Brazil. More than 450,000 people are affected.
Manaus (AP) – The rivers around the Brazilian Amazon metropolis of Manaus have reached record levels after heavy rain and caused violent flooding.
The Rio Negro, which flows into the Amazon near Manaus, had the highest water level since 1902 at 29.98 meters, as the news portal “G1” reported. During the historic flood of 2012, the river had risen to 29.97 meters. The height for “serious flooding” is 29 meters. It is expected that the water level will continue to rise to over 30 meters.
According to “G1”, more than 24,000 families and 15 districts of Manaus were affected, and many people had to leave their homes. In total, more than 9,000 meters of wooden bridges – the so-called marombas – were built in the most severely affected areas. The photos showed how passers-by moved on, some also took photos with the record flood, as they did in front of sights.
Parts of the port area and the historic center of Manaus were under water. The water seeped into shops and flooded the main market, and the sellers were taken away in boats. According to “G1”, the river is said to have washed fish into the kitchen for some residents who persevered.
The floods lead to floods in almost the entire state of Amazonas, which is about four and a half times the size of Germany. It caused damage in almost 60 of 62 communities, affecting more than 450,000 people. The Amazon also peaked in cities like Itacoatiara.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210602-99-828724 / 2
