On Sunday, authorities in Sao Paulo said that flooding and landslides brought on by heavy rains in southeast Brazil's coastal regions have killed 36 people and uprooted hundreds of others.
Rescue teams are still searching for victims, reuniting remote villages, and clearing some blocked roads that have trapped an unknown number of tourists coming to Brazil for the Carnival celebrations.
According to weather predictions, persistently heavy rains will challenge the rescue efforts of the civil defence and fire departments in the coastal region of Sao Paulo, increasing the likelihood that more people will perish.
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To aid victims, repair infrastructure, and begin restoration work, the federal government ordered the deployment of many ministries. Six cities in Sao Paulo are under a 180-day state of emergency following an unprecedented weather occurrence that experts said was unprecedented.
To coordinate the response to the catastrophe, Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas will meet with federal officials on Monday, according to the statement.
According to a local news source, operations at the largest port in South America, Santos, were suspended on Saturday due to wind gusts exceeding 55 kpm (34 mph) and waves over one meter high.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was celebrating carnival in northeastern Brazil's Bahia state, is scheduled to travel to the worst-affected regions on Monday, according to his office.
