"From the air, you could really see the scope of the devastation. It wasn't one or five. It was dozens of slides, smaller, larger, rolling green hills, just scarred by these rusty-red strips torn in by the rain." These were the words spoken by NPR reporter Melissa Brock as she described the situation of massive floods that struck Brazil last week. She is riding around in a helicopter to survey the area because that is the only safe way to view the aftermath of 12 inches of rain in a matter of hours. The flooding led to massive mudslides that, at the most up to date count, left over 800 people deceased.
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| Residents stand near vehicles which are partially buried in Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
This radio news report transcript explains the hardship of what survivors are going through in the South American country. Imagine losing 23 of your relatives, as one man discussed in the report had. It is flat out unfathomable. To make matters worse, the floods left towns flattened, bridges destroyed and roads erased all of which made it next to impossible for aid to arrive. Throw in the rough steep terrain of the area, along with turbulent weather, and it was days before rescue helicopters could even begin to send in rescue efforts and assistance.
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| An aerial view of houses inundated by flood in Sao Luis do Paraitinga, about 140 km from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Jan. 2, 2010 |
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