RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – At least 10 cities in the Brazilian state of Acre have been submerged by floodwaters. The Acre River in Rio Branco climbed 6.5 feet above flood stage. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro visited the area on Wednesday, February 24th.
More than 120,000 people have been displaced by flooding that has inundated several cities in the Amazon rainforest, and more rain is expected.
The state of Acre, in northwest Brazil, on the border with Peru, declared a state of disaster in 10 cities after rivers overflowed their banks, the Associated Press reported.
More than 4,000 families were evacuated in Sena Madureira, one of the worst-hit cities, the AP also said.
In the state capital of Rio Branco, the Acre River reached almost 52 feet, more than 6.5 feet above flood stage, according to BBC News Brazil. Floodwaters reached at least a dozen neighborhoods.
Images from around the state show rescue personnel helping people from their flooded homes and delivering food and other supplies.
The flooding comes as Acre is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The state has reported 55,881 cases of infection by the new coronavirus, according to acre.com. At least 975 people have died because of the pandemic.
In addition, more than 10,000 people in Acre have contracted dengue since the beginning of the year, the AP reported.
Acre’s Governor Gladson Cameli warned that dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases are likely to spread more aggressively once floodwaters recede.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro visited Acre on Wednesday to view the disaster firsthand.
Across the border in Peru, more than 4,000 homes have been damaged by flooding in the Madre de Dios region, according to floodlist.com. The government has declared a state of emergency for the region.
Since mid-February, heavy rain has caused flooding and mudslides in several regions of Peru, floodlist.com reported.
The border area of Peru and Brazil has received above-average rainfall over the past month, according to the Climate Prediction Center. More rain is expected in the area for the next week.