São Paulo, Brazil— Severe urban flooding swept through São Paulo on November 1, 2026, killing three people and forcing hundreds to evacuate as heavy rains overwhelmed rivers and drainage systems across Brazil's largest metropolis.
Rain started Friday night and intensified before dawn Saturday. The Tietê and Pinheiros rivers rose rapidly. Low-lying districts like Itaquera, São Mateus and Jardim Pantanal were inundated. Water entered homes up to 1.5 meters high. Cars floated down avenues.
Firefighters confirmed three deaths. One victim drowned inside a basement home in the eastern zone. Two others were swept away while trying to cross flooded streets. Their bodies were found hours later. Civil defense said two more people remain missing.
"The water rose in 20 minutes. We had no time to save furniture. We just ran to the roof," a resident of Vila Prudente said from a shelter. He said the neighborhood floods every rainy season but this year was worse.
São Paulo's flood problem is structural. The city paved over floodplains, built in river margins, and its drainage network is undersized for extreme rainfall. Climate models show more intense downpours. Saturday's storm dropped 110 millimeters in six hours in some stations.
Mayor's office declared a state of emergency in five subprefectures. Schools were closed. The metro line 3 was partially suspended after water entered tracks. Marginal Tietê highway, a critical artery, was blocked for four hours, causing a 15-kilometer jam.
Power company Enel said 40,000 customers lost electricity due to substation flooding. Water utility Sabesp warned of contamination risks. Health officials urged residents not to wade through floodwater due to leptospirosis risk.
The state government opened 12 emergency shelters. The army sent trucks to evacuate elderly residents. Social workers distributed mattresses and food baskets. Volunteers used kayaks to reach isolated streets.
Meteorologists said a cold front interacting with Amazon moisture fueled the storm. More rain is forecast for Sunday. The mayor said flood mitigation works are underway but will take years.
Rescue operations continued late Saturday. River levels were slowly receding but many streets remain impassable.
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