Flooding Destroys Thousands of Homes in Acre, Brazil

Thousands of homes destroyed, 1 in 5 people affected by flooding in Acre, Brazil

Major flooding in  Brazilian state of Acre (located SW of the Northern Region) has destroyed thousands of homes killing at least one person, and forcing a fifth of the state’s population of about 740,000  to relocate, officials said.

Disaster Calendar 2012 – February 28

[February 28, 2012]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,478 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Acre, Brazil.  Major flooding in Brazil’s state of Acre has affected about a fifth of the population, destroying thousands of homes and devastating infrastructure.
  • Flooding, caused by an abnormally intense rainy season, began more than a week ago in the Amazon basin.
  • The Acre River has burst its banks causing unprecedented flooding in Bolivia’s northern province of Pando, which borders Brazil, leaving the provincial capital, Cobija, completely inundated and obliterating dozens of villages, killing at a least a dozen people.
  • At least 45 suburbs of Rio Branco, capital of Acre, were submerged under floodwater, with more than 15,000 homes inundated by last week.
  • The Acre River has risen by about 18 meters above its normal levels, reports said.

Other Global Disasters

• Yunnan province, China.  Worsening drought and low rainfall in the last three years have dried up 273 rivers and 413 small reservoirs in Yunnan province, China, a report said.
  • More than 6.31 million people in 91 counties of Yunnan province in SW China have been affected by a persistent drought, with at least 3.1 million people and 1.55 million livestock short of drinking water, according to provincial civil affairs authorities.
  • “… more than 2 million mu (133,333 hectares) of forests and 8.2 million mu of corps having been affected.“

  • Severe drought is also posing fire risks in forest areas of SW China.

  • Some 47 percent of Yunnan province (24.7 million ha) is forested.
  • Yunnan is China’s No. 2 forested province.
  • “From Jan. 1 to Feb. 16, Yunnan saw 100 cases of forest fires. Of the total, six were serious or catastrophic forest fires, a spokesman with the Yunnan forest public security bureau said.”
• Sichuan Province, China.  Alarm bells should also be ringing in Sichuan province, SW China, as drought intensifies.

Most disturbing image of the day: A well or a mass grave?  Original caption: “Villagers wait for relief water next to a well, dug during a persistent drought in hopes of storing rainwater, at Yizi Vilage in the Renhe District of Panzhihua, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, Feb. 22, 2012. The drought, striking the area since last year as a result of insufficient rainfall, has threatened the locals’ with limited access to drinking water. Measures are now being taken to relieve the pressures of water supply.” (Xinhua/Hai Mingwei). Image may be subject to copyright.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar 

• Emergency Declared in Bolivia’s Flooded Amazon Region   Posted on February 23, 2012