DEADLY DOWNPOUR

Death Toll From Rains in Northeast Brazil Climbs to 56

This weekend’s storms mark the country’s fourth major flooding event in the past five months.

The death toll in Brazil’s northeastern state of Pernambuco has climbed to 56 as heavy rains battered the region this weekend, according to the state’s civil defense forces. Brazil’s minister of regional development said an additional 56 people are missing, 25 are injured, and more than 3,900 have lost their homes. In the state’s capital city of Recife, schools are serving as temporary shelters as officials urge residents in high-risk areas to relocate. Officials say some areas in the country’s northeast have had more rain in the past 24 hours than was expected for all of May. Extreme rain has been a fixture in Brazil in recent months. December downpours killed dozens in the nearby Bahia and this weekend marks the country’s fourth major flooding event in the past five months. President Jair Bolsonaro said the country’s military would help those affected by the floods.