April 2010 Rio de Janeiro floods and mudslides
Governmental Reaction
Governmental Reaction
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During this storm, “14,000 people were forced to leave their homes and seek refuge with relatives or at shelters.” Over 180 mudslides occurred that Tuesday. The governor of Rio advised that people stayed in their homes so that the emergency workers can "concentrate on reaching those in need." The city mayor also advised that everyone sought safer ground, and if possible, stayed in their homes.

On 13 April, United Press International reported on shortages of drinking water. City authorities initially were not able to say when power, gas, and water supplies were going to come back on, which made the residents start complaining of the slow relief. They also blame on decades of negligence for this disaster, since Rio de Janeiro has the highest proportion of people living in poverty.

Although there were many complaints, the storm itself was not “extraordinary”. Rain and mudslides were common during the month of April. The President declared that “once the storm has completely receded, a new drainage system would be built.” He also said that it would not affect the 2016 Olympics, since the projects involving the Olympics would take six years to complete.


What happened during the storm in Rio de Janeiro?