Amazon super-floods

Heavy rains and glacial melt contributed to a “super-flood” in the Amazon Basin in May and June.

In Peru, Colombia and Brazil, the Amazon River and many tributaries each broke records in height and breadth as floods inundated villages, crops and even cities. Tens of thousands of families ended up living on the roofs of their homes or homeless or in emergency shelters. Once the waters subside, it could take six months for flooded areas to drain and repairs to begin.

Areas affected include, in Peru, the Iquitos region, the Loreto region (bordering Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil), the Marañón River and the Tahuayo River; in Colombia, the Bogota and Chichu rivers and the western department Valle del Cauca, and, in Brazil, the Amazon, the Rio Negro and the city of Manaus.