Mother and newborn are rescued from floods in Vale do Ribeira: 'desperate'

The house of Marciana Pereira de Oliveira, 33 years old, was one of 400 homes affected by the floods caused by the rain and the flood of the Ribeira River, in Sete Barras, in Vale do Ribeira (SP).

In Sete Barras, approximately 100 people had to leave their homes.

The house of Marciana Pereira de Oliveira, 33 years old, was one of 400 homes affected by the floods caused by the rain and the flood of the Ribeira River, in Sete Barras, in Vale do Ribeira (SP). The resident had to be rescued by the Fire Department with her three children, including a baby who was just 25 days old.

According to Sete Barras City Hall, approximately 100 people had to leave their homes, with 22 people remaining sheltered in the municipal shelter and 75 have already received assistance from the municipal administration and are sheltered in family homes, churches and other safe places.

Throughout Vale do Ribeira, there are 148 homeless families, according to the State Civil Defense. In total, 19 temporary shelters were set up to receive residents affected by the floods in the region.

To g1, Marciana said that she was desperate when she saw the water taking over the backyard of her house, in the Conchal Branco neighborhood, this Monday (14).

"I was panicked, afraid I wouldn't be able to get out with the children. The water rose very quickly," he recalled.

The woman asked for help via telephone and was rescued by the Fire Department, including the team from the Maritime Fire Brigade (GBMar), which is providing support in Vale do Ribeira.

Images released by the corporation show the rescue of the woman and her husband, followed by their children Théo José, 11 years old, Thor, 8, and Maria Cecília, just 25 days old. In the video, the children appear on the firefighters' laps, who were facing the current of the flood, with water up to their waists.

"It was very dangerous, the current is very strong. But, with God's grace, everything went well," said Marciana.

According to her, her first-born Théo became nervous, while she suffered from pain from the cesarean section, which was performed less than a month ago. However, everyone is recovering from the scare at Marciana's mother's house, who lives in a two-story house.

"We are at the top of the house, but below everything is flooded, we can't get out", he described, saying that he is receiving help from the authorities, with food and cleaning products for restructuring.

According to Marciana, she had already faced a similar flood in 2011, but at the time she managed to leave the house before the water invaded and she was not yet a mother. "This time it was desperate because of the children", he lamented.

The Government of São Paulo approved the emergency situation in five cities affected by heavy rains: Registro, Ribeira, Iporanga, Barra do Turvo and Piracaia. The measure recognizes, at the state level, the abnormal situation in municipalities, speeding up response and recovery actions in affected areas. Eldorado and Sete Barras were also greatly affected by the rains.

The emergency situation still allows the advancement of the necessary procedures for state support, through the transfer of resources to cities.