The waters
took everything.

What Happened

A Night That Changed Everything in the Zona da Mata

On the night of Monday, February 23, 2026, a catastrophic storm system struck the Zona da Mata region of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The Paraibuna River burst its banks, turning streets into raging rivers of mud and debris. By dawn, 53 people were dead — 47 in Juiz de Fora and 6 in Ubá — with 15 still missing. It was unlike anything the region had ever endured.

Juiz de Fora recorded 584 millimeters of rainfall in a single month — nearly four times the historical average and the wettest February in the city's entire recorded history. The deluge triggered landslides at more than 200 points across the city, mostly in hillside neighborhoods where families had no warning and no time to flee. In seven hours alone, the rainfall equaled what the region normally receives in an entire month. The state fire department received 1,257 emergency calls in a single day; 120 people were pulled from the debris alive.

In Ubá, the local river rose to a historic 7.82 meters after 170 millimeters of rain fell in just three hours. Entire blocks were submerged; cars were swept away in torrents. Both cities declared a state of calamity valid for 180 days to unlock emergency aid. As of today, more than 3,500 people in Juiz de Fora alone are homeless, sheltering in schools and community centers while search teams continue digging through rubble.