In a letter to Lula, Putin regrets deaths on the coast of SP

The President of Russia, Vladimir Putinsent a letter this Monday (20.Feb.2022) to the president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (EN) lamenting the deaths recorded on the north coast of São Paulo due to the rains. The text was published on the official website of the Russian government. Here’s the full (63 KB – in Russian).

In the note, Putin said he would pay the utmost “sincere condolences for the tragic consequences of the floods in the State of São Paulo”. Until the night of this 2nd (Feb 20), the death toll reached 41, in addition to another 40 people missing, 18 injured, in addition to 1,730 homeless (who are in public or private shelters) and 766 homeless (in the homes of relatives ).

“Russia shares the pain of those who have lost loved ones and hopes that the consequences of this natural disaster will be overcome as soon as possible”said the Russian president.

In all, 6 municipalities on the north coast of São Paulo are in state of public calamity (here’s the full – 307 KB), as determined by the governor Tarcisio de Freitas (Republicans). the measure was recognized by the federal government this 2nd (20.feb).

Read the municipalities covered by the decree:

• Guarujá;
• Bertioga;
• San Sebastian;
• Caraguatatuba;
• lhabela;
• Ubatuba.

The storm recorded in the region was the most intense in the country’s history in 24 hours, accounting for 682 millimeters. According to the state government, the “The rains that hit municipalities on the North Coast is one of the greatest tragedies in the history of São Paulo […] with an incalculable trail of destruction.”.

FORECAST FOR 3rd

For Tuesday (21.Feb), the Cemaden (National Disaster Monitoring Forecast Center) issued risk warning “very high” for storms of moderate intensity, associated with those accumulated in the State.

The institution highlighted that can be registered “large amplitudes of tides and notorious currents that hinder river flow in the coastal strip in the Paraíba Valley and Metropolitan São Paulo”.

“Attention mainly to the Paraitinga river basin, where the river is rising, due to the rains observed in the basin, and to the North Coast and Baixada Santista, where the forecast of rains associated with the high volumes of rain observed in the last 48 hours, could trigger new floods and widespread flooding”added the Cemaden note.

RAIN ON THE COAST OF SP

The heavy rains recorded on the coast of São Paulo left at least 40 dead until the afternoon of the 2nd (Feb 20). Among the victims are a 9-month-old baby and a 7-year-old girl. The state government reported that there are 1,730 people displaced and 766 homeless.

The municipality of São Sebastião is one of the hardest hit. the federal government already recognized summarily the request for a state of emergency.

The Governor of Sao Paulo, Tarcisio de Freitas (Republicans), flew over the region with the mayor of São Sebastião, Felipe Augusto (PSDB). Aircraft support was announced for to help transporting firefighters to isolated areas because of the rains.

The president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) was in the municipality of São Sebastião this Monday (20.Feb) and also flew over the affected areas by helicopter before the meeting to announce measures to minimize the destruction caused by the rains on the coast of São Paulo. He was accompanied by the ministers:

France announced that the Port of Santos released R$ 2 million at the request of President Lula. The money will be distributed to affected municipalities and to the state government to help victims of the rains.