Floods displace 2,000 families in northern Brazil

English.news.cn   2014-03-07 14:57:48

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 6 (Xinhua) — Floods have displaced more than 2,000 families in northern Brazil’s Rondonia state, local media reported Thursday.

Floods engulfed several small communities along the Madeira River, with water levels 18.87 meters higher than normal.

All residents have been forced to leave their homes, and some areas in the state’s capital Porto Velho have also been inundated.

The Rondonia government declared a state of public calamity last week.

The floods also caused damage in the neighboring states of Acre and Amazonas. In Amazonas, six towns located near the state border declared a state of emergency.

Acre has been isolated with its only land link to the rest of the country — the BR-364 highway — cut by flood waters. As a result, Some regions of the state are already facing fuel supply problems.

The water level of the Madeira River is expected to rise further before the end of the rainy season.