Heavy rainfall in São João de Meriti, located in the Baixada Fluminense region of Brazil, resulted in a tragic incident where a woman drowned and 124 people were displaced from their homes. The victim, who had mobility issues, lived in a house that had a wall collapse during the storm. Unfortunately, she was unable to escape the flooding and was found deceased within her home. Local officials reported that the area experienced a significant accumulation of rain, triggering emergency responses.

The mayor's office of São João de Meriti has declared a stage 5 alert, the highest level of warning on a five-point scale, reflecting the severity of the situation. Sirens were activated in affected neighborhoods, including Venda Velha, Travessa Itacaré, and Coelho da Rocha, to notify residents of the dangerous conditions. Various neighborhoods recorded different rainfall amounts, with Venda Velha experiencing the heaviest at 105.4 millimeters in just 24 hours, signifying the intensity of the storm.

In addition to the personal tragedy of the woman who drowned, the storm has raised concerns about the infrastructure in these communities and their resilience to extreme weather events. The local government is likely to face scrutiny over flood management and emergency preparedness as they work to assist those displaced and prevent future incidents. This event underscores the necessity for improved infrastructure and response strategies in light of climate change and increasing rainfall variability in the region.