Southeastern Brazil is once again the scene of a major climate disaster. On Tuesday, a preliminary report indicated at least 29 deaths and around 40 missing after unprecedented rainfall struck the state of Minas Gerais.

An unprecedented deluge in Juiz de Fora

The city of Juiz de Fora (population 540,000) is the epicenter of the disaster. In just a few days, 584 mm of rain fell, double the normal amount for the entire month of February. Faced with this "extremely serious" situation, Mayor Margarida Salomao declared a state of natural disaster.

The tragedy of Parque Burnier

The Parque Burnier district, located on a hillside, paid the heaviest price:

1. 12 houses were completely engulfed by a massive landslide.
2. 22 deaths have been confirmed in this area alone.
3. Dozens of rescuers and volunteers are searching through the mud, although authorities fear that the chances of finding survivors are diminishing by the hour.

"At least find his body, so that I can give him a proper burial," says Wilton Aparecido de Souza, whose 20-year-old son is trapped in the rubble.

State of emergency and overwhelmed emergency services

The rescue operations are perilous. Firefighters must contend with the flooding of the Paraibuna River and unstable ground that threatens to collapse at any moment.

Emergency measures	Local impact
Schools closed	Classes suspended in all municipal schools.
Humanitarian aid	Priority should be given to rehousing and restoring basic services.
State of disaster	Triggered at dawn to accelerate the arrival of funds.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva assured on the social network X that reconstruction and assistance to displaced persons were the absolute priorities of the federal government.

Climate change in the spotlight

This latest tragedy is part of a long series of disasters for Brazil. Between the deadly floods of 2024 (more than 200 deaths in the south) and the Petrópolis disaster in 2022 (241 deaths), the country is bearing the brunt of the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. Experts believe the recurrence of these events is a direct consequence of global climate change.