May 17, 2021

Andrew Campbell 

A climate phenomenon La Niña where cooler-than-normal surface temperatures in the Pacific have caused significant global weather changes with increasing precipitation in Amazon in recent years. On May 13 the Amazonas state's Civil Defense announced 20 municipalities in Amazonas state, including the municipality of Anama near the Solimoes River, were in a state of emergency due to heavy rainfalls in the Amazon rainforest.

Anama, the homes of 14,000 residents, and state capital Manaus, the homes of 4,700 families, were reportedly in danger by the unusual rainfall. Over 400,000 people were affected or evacuated by the flooding. The water level of the Rio Negro river was rising at 3 centimeters a day and on May 17 Anama had been totally flooded and streets in the center of Manaus were already underwater.

Meanwhile, Manaus became an epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2020. The state capital and surrounding region detected a contagious coronavirus variant, called P.1, evading across Brazil and 10 other countries. Its deadly transmissibility has already hit hard on the people of Manaus. Mayor David Almeida has offered the flood-dangered homes of 4,700 families with stipends to evacuate and rent dwellings elsewhere.

Photo:webshot.