Heavy Rains Wash Away Bridges and Isolate Towns Across Roraima

Overview

• As of Friday, May 29, intense late-May storms have affected 10 of Roraima’s 15 municipalities and left large areas without terrestrial access.
• The state recorded about 315 mm of rain through May 26, a near-monthly total that contributed to river surges that destroyed bridge heads, ruptured roadways including parts of BR-401, and made many vicinais impassable.
• Uiramutã declared emergency after at least three rivers and one igarapé overflowed, leaving about 8,700 people (roughly 56% of the town) without land access and cutting potable water supplies for multiple Indigenous communities.
• Bonfim also declared a 180-day emergency after three bridges were swept away, isolating several indigenous villages and thousands of residents and damaging crops and livestock.
• The state government created a crisis cabinet, recalled hundreds of firefighters, launched boat and limited air rescues, and began distributing water filters, food baskets and medical supplies while compiling a statewide damage assessment.