Brazil - 612 people have died in the flooding

The count keeps rising from the floods in the Serrano Region of Rio de Janeiro state. So far it has reached 612, but seems likely to rise even further. The lack of public preparedness is widely blamed, but the Federal and State governments are promising reforms. We shall see how long the commitment lasts. In the meantime there are still at least 20 communities that still have no outside contact.

From O Globo:


TERESÓPOLIS e RIO - O número de mortes provocadas pela tempestade que devastou a Região Serrana do Rio chegou a 612 na tarde deste domingo. Os dados foram divulgados pela secretaria de Estado de Saúde e Defesa Civil e prefeituras das cidades atingidas pelo temporal na última terça-feira. Em Teresópolis, são 261 vítimas. Em Nova Friburgo, 274; em Itaipava, 54; e em São José do Vale do Rio Preto, 4. O prefeito de Sumidouro, Joarez Corguinha, corrigiu o número de mortos divulgado na sexta-feira, quando informou 20 vítimas na cidade. De acordo com a prefeitura, o número correto é de 19 mortos.

This is very tragic... :( Its horrible to watch the news and see the carnage. I was further disturbed this morning when a local cable news channel gave details of the expected weather in Rio for the next few days, Im afraid they said that an additional 180-200mm of rain is expected !!! :eek:

I pray that the forecasts are wrong and that things dry up quickly. I guess that there is some comfort in the fact that Brazil is doing well enough in the Economics front and that I assume that the new Administration will be quick to put aid and reconstruction in place as soon as possible... with all that is planned for Rio over the next few years, Im sure that this will get taken care of swiftly.

jbcarioca-- is there some charity that you know that could use a donation...? Im thinking that in a similar spirit to what I do here for the annual EZE Cow Do event where we benefit a childrens charity or a rural school, perhaps I can drum up interest of a few EZE based FTers and we could collect some funds...? While Im sure this would only be a micro-drop in the Ocean, I would be happy to get this organized and see if we can get a few folks interested.

Please let me have your thoughts.

Cheers,
Gaucho100K

This is very tragic... :( Its horrible to watch the news and see the carnage. I was further disturbed this morning when a local cable news channel gave details of the expected weather in Rio for the next few days, Im afraid they said that an additional 180-200mm of rain is expected !!! :eek:

I pray that the forecasts are wrong and that things dry up quickly. I guess that there is some comfort in the fact that Brazil is doing well enough in the Economics front and that I assume that the new Administration will be quick to put aid and reconstruction in place as soon as possible... with all that is planned for Rio over the next few years, Im sure that this will get taken care of swiftly.

jbcarioca-- is there some charity that you know that could use a donation...? Im thinking that in a similar spirit to what I do here for the annual EZE Cow Do event where we benefit a childrens charity or a rural school, perhaps I can drum up interest of a few EZE based FTers and we could collect some funds...? While Im sure this would only be a micro-drop in the Ocean, I would be happy to get this organized and see if we can get a few folks interested.

Please let me have your thoughts.

Cheers,
Gaucho100K

It's basically the same administration that's been in power for 8 years. Brazil's economy is in the news a lot, but there's still a tremendous amount of poverty, with large numbers of poor living in makeshift favelas (slums), carved out of hillsides, etc. This will go on for many, many, many years. I found a Web site re donations for Brazilian flood victims-- dated June of 2010. The amount of corruption and inefficiency has greatly lessened the progress might otherwise have taken place. Sad, but true.

There are lots of existing international charities you could donate to. I'd contact the Red Cross, UNICEF, etc. If, for some reason, you want to donate directly to Brazilian organizastions, the Web site of the Brazilian Embassy in Washington lists some organizations and their bank info (you'd have to ask your own bank how to do a transfer), at http://www.brasilemb.org/component/content/article/199-desastre-na-regiao-serrana-do-rio-de-janeiro Needless to say, be careful about making donations to organizations you're not familiar with.

I am trying to evaluate charities now. I have enlisted the help of a couple colleagues who have long experience with charities. Thanks for your concern, Gaucho. It will probably take me another day to complete this, mostly because I am in France now, but I am now in NCE awaiting my first leg to get home to Rio.

The latest death toll is 680, but as the disappeared are found the deaths will inevitably rise.

skoenig has some good points, sorry to say, so I want to recommend a charity to which I will send my own funds, also.

I am trying to evaluate charities now. I have enlisted the help of a couple colleagues who have long experience with charities. Thanks for your concern, Gaucho. It will probably take me another day to complete this, mostly because I am in France now, but I am now in NCE awaiting my first leg to get home to Rio.

The latest death toll is 680, but as the disappeared are found the deaths will inevitably rise.

skoenig has some good points, sorry to say, so I want to recommend a charity to which I will send my own funds, also.

Great... I look forward to hearing from you once you figure out which organization would be best to benefit. I will start a thread over on the Argentina Forum and see what sort of interest I can rally. Will keep you posted... ^

Cheers,
Alex / Gaucho100K

Follow details of this as they unfold over at the Argentina forums using this link...

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/argentina/1174037-flyertalk-argentina-rio-flood-victims-charity-event.html