11 April 2010

"Blame it on Rio"

Look at what is going on in Brazil:

"...over 400 people are now feared dead in some of the worst flooding to swamp Brazil in decades. At dawn, rescuers pulled four more bodies from the thick mound of dirt and debris in the Niteroi shantytown of Morro do Bumba, bringing the updated death toll to 219, while another 200 people were believed to be buried alive in the slum, itself precariously perched atop a garbage dump. About 60 hours after THE HEAVIEST RAINS IN HALF A CENTURY unleashed floods and mudslides, rescue workers appeared far from having finished the work of recovering bodies. Niteroi was hardest hit, with at least 134 dead. Across the bay, another 60 were found in Rio de Janeiro. The heavy rain forced about 50,000 people to leave their homes, either because their homes were damaged or because they were ordered to leave due to fear of fresh landslides. Two cracks in the rocky soil made the mound move and pushed a huge amount of rubbish, saturated with water that had trapped methane gas, down the hill. Firefighters working at the site since Wednesday, said there was little chance of finding new survivors after part of the hillside fell away and swallowed everything in its path, including 50 houses, a day-care centre and a pizzeria."

Also:

"One week after Rio De Janeiro suffered from torrential rains and deadly mudslides, the Brazilian city was dealt extreme waves and a massive storm surge. A storm surge is an UNUSUAL rise in sea level on the coast due to a low pressure weather system and accompanying high winds. An extra-tropical cyclone, or a storm that forms outside the tropics, formed along the coast of Rio and caused the storm surge. The features of this storm are similar to the Nor'easter that occurs along the East Coast of the U.S. "Extra-tropical cyclones are common in the South Atlantic. But they usually form along the coast of Argentina and in the Plata region." Sometimes, storm surges affect the southern coast of Brazil but if the cyclone is very deep, the surge may reach the Southeast region. "As this system developed much more to the North than usual, the surge didn't have an impact in the South, but it was a direct hit for Sao Paulo and mainly Rio."

Some people are saying it's connected to this...

Brazil’s Leader Snubs Mt. Herzl but Will Visit Arafat’s Grave

"...Lula was one of the first international leaders to recognize the re-election of Ahmadinejad last June, despite widespread charges that the vote was rigged."

(Weather report thanks to Global Disaster Watch)

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