Heavy rainfall associated with floods in southeastern Brazil in November–December 2021.

In southeast Brazil, heavy precipitation events during the summer trigger floods. These disasters are responsible for most loss of lives. In November and December 2021, the northern area of Minas Gerais and the southern part of Bahia were affected by periods of very heavy rain and intense floods. Heavy precipitation contributed to unusually high soil saturation that favored floods that claimed lives. Estimated losses totaled about $3.1 billion U.S. dollars from November to December 2021. Therefore, this study: 1. evaluates the meteorological conditions in November–December 2021, in particular from December 22 to 29, when it rained up to 300 mm above average in this region, 2. analyzes the floods, exacerbated by extreme rainfall events earlier in November and December, and 3. discusses monitoring and issuing risk alerts of these disasters by government agencies that helped minimize damage and property loss and reduce fatalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]