Deluge in Brazil

God said that he would never again destroy the world with water.  But sometimes, in the middle of a gully washer, we wish for the protection of an ark.

After hearing about the torrential rains here, some have written to ask if we are well.  The answer is yes.  The hardest hit area is in the state of Rio de Janeiro, about 300 miles east and north of where we live (São Paulo).  At this writing more than 700 people have lost their lives in the mountainous regions north of the city of Rio, due to flooding and mudslides.  Hundreds are missing.  Children have been orphaned.  Many survivors have lost their homes and physical possessions.

We are in the middle of the rainy season here, so showers are a normal occurrence in December and January.  But certain weather patterns have caused unusually high amounts of rain in some areas.  Add to this the mountainous terrain, and the fact that human activity has stripped the hills of vegetation which could help prevent erosion.  Also, many people build their homes in high risk areas, hoping that nothing will happen.  Sometimes they are right.

Here in São Paulo it rains daily, sometimes heavily, but not for long periods of time.  Even so, low-lying streets fill up quickly with runoff water.  Most of the ground in the city is covered with asphalt or concrete, so the soil is not able to absorb much rain.  The result here is localized flooding as the storm sewer system becomes quickly overloaded.  Garbage in the streets often plugs the storm drains and aggravates the situation.

In our ninth-floor apartment we stay high and dry, if we remember to close all the windows!

We pray for all those affected by this disaster. Brazilians are generous, and donations of food, clothing and cash have been pouring in from all over the country.  Our mission (WorldVenture) and our local church are investigating the best ways to help at this time.