Maceió is experiencing its longest winter in decades.
Rare for a northeastern city, not even the change of season interrupted the rains that hit Maceió; it's as if it rained for a third of the entire year. Of course, this atypical situation causes several problems for the city; in addition to potholes in the roads, 3024 people were displaced, 258 people were left homeless, and 507.200 people were affected by landslides and floods resulting from the large volumes of rainfall recorded on May 27th.
By cadaminuto.com.br - Winter has officially ended and spring began on September 22nd. But in Maceió, not even the new season has been able to stop the intense rains that have been falling on the capital since May 21st.
It's as if it rained for a third of the entire year, something rare for a city in the Northeast of Brazil. As a result, losses for the City Hall and suffering for the population. This past weekend, already at the end of September, it still rained – sporadically, but heavily – in various parts of the city.
Every day, the Municipal Infrastructure Secretariat (Seminfra) carries out an intense pothole repair operation in various neighborhoods of Maceió, with an average of 10 teams in several neighborhoods and locations. Mayor Rui Palmeira has already stated that dozens of roads will be repaired after the end of the rainy season. But the four months of rain have already made the winter of 2017 one of the longest in recent decades in the city, to the astonishment of authorities and the population.
The worst part is that the incessant rains are preventing the City Hall from carrying out a more comprehensive city repair service. The accumulated water on the roads prevents the asphalt from adhering properly, and any work done in the rain, other than temporary fixes, represents a waste of time and public resources. Expectations are high for the start of the work. Rui Palmeira himself has stated that he is only waiting for the dry season to begin so that the machines can go to the streets.
“We are working, doing what is possible even in the rain. For four months we have had intense rainfall, and the emergency and temporary repair work, mainly on the road network, has been carried out daily. Secretary Ib Brêda and the teams have been making every effort. But you can be sure that we are only waiting for the rain to let up so we can repair several roads in the city. We have already started on some. The work will be intense,” stated Rui Palmeira.
The rain started in May.
On May 21, 2017, the rains began in Maceió, continuing practically until today, with short dry periods, causing significant damage to the capital. The days leading up to May 27 were quite rainy, with accumulated rainfall of 349,8 mm. This is almost the total expected for the entire month of May, which is 382,2 mm.
The highest rainfall totals were recorded on May 26th and 27th, with 112 mm and 130 mm respectively, resulting in numerous incidents, including landslides with burials (07 confirmed fatalities and 01 missing person), house collapses, fallen trees, and several flooded areas, in addition to the overflowing of the Jacarecica River, Mundaú Lagoon, and Pratagy River, causing flooding in neighborhoods near their banks.
In May alone, 3024 people were displaced, 258 were left homeless, and 507.200 people were affected by landslides and floods resulting from the large volumes of rainfall recorded on May 27th.
The most affected areas are distributed across the 07 (seven) risk complexes: Benedito Bentes Complex, Tabuleiro Complex, Chã da Jaqueira Complex, Lagoa Mundaú Complex, Baixo Reginaldo Complex, Alto Reginaldo Complex, and Litoral Norte Complex. Grota da Cicosa and Grota do Pau D'Arco were the areas where the largest landslides were recorded, resulting in the total collapse of residences and fatalities.