Mass flooding in northeastern Brazil has left 18 dead; more than 19,500 evacuated

Heavy rains – which have pummeled northeastern Brazil since mid-November – have left at least 18 dead, 286 injured, and upwards of 20,000 homeless or evacuated, Bahia state Gov. Rui Costa told reporters on Monday.

In Bahia 72 municipalities declared a state of emergency due to the rains and 58 of those have also declared a “crisis situation” due to a lack of access to supplies and transportation, Infobae reported.

According to official government data, 19,580 people were evacuated and approximately 16,000 are believed to have lost their homes to the mass flooding.

Thousands of Brazilians are currently residing in temporary government housing – set up in sports stadiums and other such camps.

"This is a massive tragedy. I can't remember seeing anything like this in Bahia's recent history, given the number of cities and houses involved. It's truly terrifying, there are so many houses and streets that are completely under water," Costa noted.

Federal and state authorities mounted a joint relief operation on Sunday, with help from states including, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo and Sao Paulo.

“We are fully mobilized, taking all measures, to ensure the necessary support for the victims of the heavy rains that hit Bahia this Christmas,” the Bahia governor added after announcing the creation of a support base in Ilhéus – one of the hardest hit cities.

Local authorities also reported that floods, mudslides and avalanches had blocked traffic on upwards of 17 roads – further complicating relief efforts.

Salvador, the capital of Bahia, accumulated nearly 10 inches of rain in December, a figure five times the historical average for the same month.

The storms ultimately caused the collapse of a dam under construction in the city of Vitoria da Conquista, which led to the evacuation of local residents.