Land under the Amazon: the water rises higher and higher around the Brazilian metropolis of Manaus. Experts have a guess.
Manaus (AP) – In the heart of the Brazilian Amazon region, the largest rivers have risen to record levels after heavy rain and have caused violent flooding.
At the port of Manaus, the Rio Negro, which flows into the Amazon, reached 29.98 meters, the highest water level since 1902, as the news portal “G1” reported on Tuesday. During the historic flood of 2012, the water level was 29.97 meters.
The Amazon metropolis has been battling strong floods for more than a month. According to the newspaper “Folha de S. Paulo”, the water level exceeded the height for “serious flooding” of 29 meters for the first time at the end of April. It is expected that the water level will rise to about 30 meters in the coming days and then stabilize, said the Geological Service of Brazil. The flood could then subside again from next week.
As the “Folha de S. Paulo” reported, floods are increasing in the region, which is mainly due to climate change. “In less than three years, an event that should only occur every 50 years is repeated,” Luna Gripp from the Brazilian Geological Survey told the newspaper. A total of six of the ten record floods occurred in the metropolis of Manaus in the past 20 years.
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 it. Some also took photos with the record flood, as they did before 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 municipalities, affecting more than 450,000 people. The Amazon, the world’s richest river, also peaked in cities like Itacoatiara.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210602-99-828724 / 4
Report G1 (Portuguese)
Geological Survey Brazil (Portuguese)
Bericht Folha de S. Paulo (Portugiesisch)
