Vitória Gomes, a resident of the hard-hit Parque Burnier neighborhood in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, shared her tragic experience of losing both her mother and her daughter, who was just two years old, during a devastating landslide caused by heavy rains. Despite receiving weather alerts, Vitória did not foresee the scale of the disaster until it struck her home. She recounted the moments leading up to the tragedy, watching television while her daughter slept, unaware that their lives would change forever in mere seconds.

Laid to rest was her young daughter, Mellissa Emanuelly, who was just about to celebrate her third birthday later in October. Victoria expressed her overwhelming grief and disbelief as she navigates the painful aftermath of losing her closest family members. The emotional weight of her loss is compounded by the fact that both victims were taken from her in an instant, and she detailed how quickly the events unfolded, illustrating the chaos and danger presented by the sever weather conditions affecting her community.

Victoria's story resonates deeply within the local community, drawing attention to the impacts of climate change and the vulnerability of neighborhoods situated in disaster-prone areas like Parque Burnier. This tragedy serves as a call for increased awareness and preparedness for natural disasters that can strike with little warning, affecting families in profound and devastating ways, thereby highlighting the urgent need for better infrastructure and disaster management strategies in Brazil.