DisastersEconomic, infrastructure damage of floods in Australia, Brazil staggering

Brazil's da Silva viewing damage in Santa Catarina state // Source: earthweek.com

The recent floods in Brazil and Australia show how vulnerable societies are to the ravages of nature. Last week’s rains in Brazil were the heaviest the country has seen in forty-four years, leading to floods and mudslides that killed at least 741 people and left at least 200 missing, suggesting the actual cost in human life could reach 1,000. The death toll already makes this the most deadly natural disaster in Brazil’s history. Roads, bridges, homes, and businesses will all need to be rebuilt after being destroyed by flood waters and carried away by mudslides. Damage to the area has been estimated at $1.2 billion and 6,000 people have been left homeless by the disaster, while another 8,000 have been relocated to shelters while officials assess the possibility of further mudslides. One city in the area had already received approximately ten inches of rain in the first few days of the year. The average rainfall for the month is only eleven inches.

The response by officials has been criticized by many in Brazil who are left wondering why, with modern technology, people were not alerted to the coming storms and given the chance to prepare or evacuate. They also ask why people were allowed to establish communities in areas that had a very high risk of flooding and mudslides.

The response of the officials in the aftermath of the flooding has also been criticized, raising questions about how well the nation will be able to handle the Olympics and World Cup in the coming years. Should a disaster strike during one of these events, the response by the Brazilian government could have the potential to create an international incident.

Estado de S. Paulo, a leading daily newspaper in Brazil, has criticized the government response saying, “A look at public policy … or the lack thereof … reveals a long chain of unpreparedness, administrative incompetence, technical incapacity, and political irresponsibility.” The paper also reported that officials had admitted much of the country’s civil-defense network was “unprepared” to respond adequately to natural disasters as recently as November. In the wake of the disaster the government has announced plans to set up a national emergency warning system that could alert people of coming natural disasters.

On the other side of the globe residents in Australia are fleeing town after town as flooding there continues. While the government response seems to be more coordinated than Brazil’s, the flooding could prove to be the most costly in the country’s history, already topping $5 billion before the waters reached Brisbane last week. The waters have ruined the agriculture industry in many areas of the country and when including the lost production value of crops and other goods, damages rise to almost $30 billion. Farmers are now reeling as the floods come after years of drought that served to weaken the agriculture community. Citizens of Australia are currently being warned that while increase in grain prices will be modest as most grain had been harvested before the flooding, fruit and vegetable prices will increase significantly as shortages will follow. The increase in the value of goods from livestock is uncertain as rescuers struggle to save what remains of livestock populations. In addition to the increase in price of food stuffs, residents are also being warned of damages to roads, hospitals, cell phone service and bridges which will cause major problems with businesses and commerce adding to lost production in the nation.