Lula visits areas hit by storms on São Paulo's coast

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva made, on Feb. 20, an overflight in the areas affected by heavy rains and landslides on the northern coast of São Paulo state.

The visit is especially in São Sebastião, where at least 36 people have died. This is the most affected municipality by the rains, which exceeded 600 millimeters in less than eight hours.

In a message posted on Twitter, Lula wrote that all levels of government will be brought together and, with the solidarity of society, assist the wounded, search for the missing, and restore roads, power and telecommunications connections in the region. He mourned the deaths and expressed solidarity with the families.

According to São Paulo Civil Defense, three of the four cities on the northern coast of São Paulo state received, in the last 24 hours, the volume of rain expected for the whole month of February. In São Sebastião, the volume in the last 24 hours was double the expected average for the month.

Persistent rains have caused roadblocks, collapse of barriers, flooding, landslides, mudslides, and affected the water and power supply in the region.