Around 100 people have died in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro after the worst torrential rain for decades caused landslides and flooding. BBC News website readers in Rio de Janeiro have been sharing their experiences.
YOUR COMMENTSIt’s incredible what’s going on here, I’ve never seen it before. The situation is chaotic, the city has collapsed, but it’s also important to remember that every big city in the world would face the same issues with such an enormous amount of water. Rio’s problem is that it was not supposed to be a city of 12 million people. It should be a natural park, because of the number of mountains, rivers, lakes and ponds that surround it. Besides, many parts of the town are below sea level. It is also important to mention that the majority of the shanty towns are located in the hills without proper planning and therefore landslides are common in those areas. Thiago Wolfer, Rio de Janeiro
Today I witnessed Rio de Janeiro on the brink of collapse. I ventured out around midday, just as the electric power blacked out in my neighbourhood.
What I encountered was unbelievable. Huge trees had come down in the storm blocking roads. Major traffic arteries were closed to traffic due to flooding and fallen trees. The streets looked more like dirt tracks; they were thick with mud. The city reminded me of a war zone.
Rio has a terrible littering problem and one of the contributing factors to the flooding are the blocked drains. The mayor has alerted locals to the importance of throwing litter in the numerous plastic orange bins that dot the city but to no avail.
I have been living in Rio de Janeiro for over 16 years and I have never seen anything like today. A lot of progress will need to be made in the next few years if Rio is to successfully host the Olympics in 2016.Duncan Crossley, Rio de Janeiro
There has been relentless rain for over 24 hours. Last night some people from my husband’s office didn’t even make it home all night, as the roads were flooded. The Niteroi bridge was closed and there was terrible traffic. On Tuesday morning the flooding was worse and my husband’s office didn’t open and our children’s schools were closed too.Clare Wright, Rio de Janeiro
Yesterday, I left work at 2200. It had been raining since 1700 and I knew it would be difficult to go back home. However, I had no idea that I would be trapped in such a monstrous traffic jam, the worst I have seen in my life. When I finally parked my car at my garage it was 0830. Heavy rain in Rio is common in March and April but this tempest was as devastating as a biblical punishment.A.N. Feuerstahl, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is a city prone to flooding, both geographically and meteorologically. In addition we have decades of irregular occupation of mountains, which were once full of vegetation and a badly educated population that insists on littering the city. The result is complete chaos.Leandro Correia, Rio de Janeiro
It seems like the city is actually collapsing. The streets are filled with mud and garbage, and practically empty. Yesterday it took me five hours to get home, instead of the usual 50 minutes. There are so many new buildings cropping up in the city every single day without any kind of forethought or proper planning. I don’t just mean in shantytowns but also buildings for the middle classes. The city is growing without control.Emir Hamam de Figueiredo, Niterói
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