MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil's Federal Gov't recognizes emergency in inner São Paulo state

The emergency declaration helps avoid red tape in the allocation of relief funds

Brazil's National Secretariat for Protection and Civil Defense Friday recognized Friday in documents published in the Diário Oficial da União (Official Gazette) that a situation of emergency existed in storm-hit Araraquara, in the state of São Paulo, Agencia Brasil reported.

The emergency allows the municipal administration to take swift measures, such as dodging bureaucracy for the release of federal funds to assist the local population and supply the services needed to recover the areas affected by natural disasters.

Hit by heavy rains in the last week of 2022, Araraquara is waiting for the release of federal and state resources to start the most complex works to recover the infrastructure damaged by the waters.

Although the heaviest rains occurred last week, Araraquara is still in a state of alert. By Thursday afternoon, at least nine points in the city were totally or partially blocked.

The Dec. 28 storm caused at least five deaths and the disappearance of a 10-year-old child. The victims belong to the same family and were in a vehicle dragged by the waters of a stream that overflowed.

Read also: Heavy rains kill seven people in São Paulo state, one still missing

Civil Defense authorities also expressed their concern Thursday over the situation in Bahia during a meeting gathering representatives of agencies that make up the Federal System of Protection and Civil Defense (Sinpdec) to discuss strategies to face possible natural disasters in various regions.

National Center for Risk and Disaster Management (Cenad) Director Armin Braun encouraged people to register in the National Civil Defense warning system, by sending a text message to the number 40199, indicating the zip code of their place of residence, to receive up-to-date alerts. “Especially in this summer period, the main risks are related to landslides and floods, which usually happen in the southern and southeastern states and in southern Bahia,” Braun said.

“As soon as a disaster is predicted, the population will receive a warning containing risk information and guidance for self-protection,” the authorities said in a statement. The free-of-charge service is also available through the WhatsApp and Telegram messaging applications.

(Source: Agencia Brasil)