Brazil's Minas Gerais state hit by more rain as flooding death toll
rises to 59
[February 27, 2026]
By ELÉONORE HUGHES
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Residents in Brazil's Minas Gerais state faced
blocked roads, closed shops and streets under water on Thursday
following more heavy rain overnight as the death toll from recent floods
and landslides reached 59, authorities said.
Rescuers continued to search for victims on the third day since the
catastrophe began late Monday, causing floods, landslides, collapsed
houses and shuttered schools.
Minas Gerais’s fire department said 15 people are still missing and more
than 230 have been rescued. More than 5,500 people have been forced to
leave their homes.
Brazil’s meteorology institute, Inmet, said on Thursday morning that
more rain with strong winds was forecast, and pointed to a risk of power
outages, falling tree branches, flooding and lightning strikes.
“This morning, all the shops in the city center are being cleaned again.
The storm on Monday already caused damage, and early this morning there
was even more damage,” said Rev. Ananias Simões, a pastor at a church in
Juiz de Fora, the hardest-hit city.
All the victims have been found in Juiz de Fora and Uba, about 310
kilometers (192 miles) north of Rio de Janeiro.
The authorities in Juiz de Fora, where a state of public calamity has
been declared, ordered the evacuation of homes along dozens of roads and
said residents would be able to shelter in nearby schools.
‘Very chaotic’
Simões, whose church is providing shelter and supplies for victims, said
that many roads were closed due to the expectation of more heavy rain.
Despite logistical difficulties, he planned on going to the city’s
heavily affected northern zone to deliver food and water.
“The situation is very chaotic,” he said. “Everyone is doing their
utmost to make sure everyone stays safe.”
Inmet warned of “great danger” until Friday evening in parts of Minas
Gerais as well as other Brazilian states including Rio and Sao Paulo due
to the heavy rains. Those areas are all at risk of landslides, river
overflows and major flooding, the body said.
The fire department has advised residents to look for signs that their
properties may have been damaged or are at risk of collapse, such as
cracks in bulging walls, fissures and stuck doors and windows. Outside,
muddy water flowing down hillsides, leaning trees and utility poles and
cracking sounds coming from the ground all signal imminent danger, it
said.
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A home is collapsed due to heavy rains and flooding in the Parque
Burnier neighborhood of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais state, Brazil,
Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
“Don't wait. If there’s any doubt, leave the house,” said military
firefighter Cel. Joselito Oliveira de Paula, speaking to
journalists. He said authorities had removed six bodies since
Wednesday, adding that efforts continued but that more rain could
hinder further recoveries.
Minas Gerais state health secretariat has issued an epidemiological
alert providing guidance for health services and the general
population to prevent diseases related to contaminated water, such
as leptospirosis, the state's communications agency said in a
statement on Thursday.
Reconstruction efforts
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on his social media
channels on Tuesday that security forces have been deployed on
rescue missions and are providing immediate assistance to the
population affected by the rain. The federal government has
authorized the release of around 3.4 million reais (around $660,000)
for reconstruction efforts and humanitarian assistance.
Scientists say extreme weather is happening more frequently due to
human-caused climate change.
Nearly a quarter of Juiz de Fora residents -- around 540,000 people
-- live in places that have been identified as being at risk of
natural hazards related to land and water, according to a 2023
report by Cemaden, a Brazilian government agency that monitors
natural disasters.
“We don’t know when heavy rains will occur, but we know that they
will,” said Natalie Unterstell, the founder of Talanoa Institute, a
climate policy think tank. “Climate adaptation needs to be a
priority. It's not about reacting to a situation, but about
investing in infrastructure to avoid deaths.”
Major flooding in Brazil’s southern Rio Grande do Sul state in May
2024 led to the deaths of at least 185 people and ravaged nearly
everything needed for economic activity, from shops to factories,
farms and ranches. Financial losses were above 10 billion reais
($1.9 billion).
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