President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will fly over, this Sunday morning (9), the region of Trizidela do Vale, in Maranhão, the most affected by the heavy rains that have fallen in recent days. Lula and the ministers will see the situation of the affected municipalities up close and make themselves available to provide federal support for response actions and assistance to the population impacted by the extreme events.
The presidential entourage will be composed of the Ministers of Justice and Public Security, Flávio Dino; from the Institutional Relations Secretariat, Alexandre Padilha; the Social Communication Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic; Paulo Pimenta; Ministry of Integration and Regional Development, Waldez Goés; and from Labor and Social Security, Luiz Marinho. The overflight of the President of the Republic will be carried out in the company of the governor of Maranhão, Carlos Brandão (PSB).
After the flyover, President Lula will speak to the press at Bacabal airport, in Maranhão.
At the end of March, another delegation from the Federal Government flew over areas affected by heavy rains in Maranhão.
Emergency situation
The government of Maranhão has already decreed the emergency situation of 64 municipalities in Maranhão, due to the floods. According to information from the Fire Department of the State of Maranhão, around 35,900 families were affected by the rising waters. At least 7,700 people are homeless or displaced. Since March, six deaths have been registered because of the heavy rains, which do not stop.
Throughout the state, nine rivers, in addition to streams and dams, overflowed. Entire communities are isolated. In some cities, the situation is even more serious, such as Buriticupu, in a state of public calamity. The municipality, which is 395km from São Luís, with about 72 thousand inhabitants, is plagued by gullies, geological phenomenon that creates giant craters. According to Maranhão authorities, some cracks measure 600 meters long and 70 meters deep.
Another serious case is Alto Alegre do Pindaré, 220 km from the capital São Luís. The municipality is underwater and was isolated after the rains. The state highway that gives access to the city, the MA-119, is completely flooded. The Pindaré River, which cuts through the city, rose more than seven meters, with the rains. In all, 450 families are homeless in the municipality. To move around the streets of Alto Alegre do Pindaré, residents have used improvised canoes and boats.
Humanitarian help
The state’s Civil Defense continues to monitor the cases and the damage caused to the population due to the rainy season. Teams from the fire brigade, city halls and state agencies work in the operation to provide relief to the victims, mainly in the interior of Maranhão. According to the latest survey, 34,000 liters of water, 21,000 basic food baskets and 3,450 mattresses were sent to assist the homeless.
Easter rains
According to the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet), the accumulated volume of rain may exceed 100mm, in several areas of Maranhão, this Easter holiday. A similar volume of rain should fall in the states of Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco and Ceará, and could cause the so-called extreme events.
