Heavy rains in Rio de Janeiro leave at least one dead

At least one person died, and hundreds were affected by heavy rains in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, the local media has reported.

In the west and north of the city, the level of the water was over one metre, some witnesses said.

The water flooded the streets and entered to the houses destroying the belongings of hundreds of residents of the "Marvelous City," as Rio is called.

Videos taken by the people living in Deodoro, a neighbourhood in the western region of the Rio, showed flooded streets, buildings partially covered by the water, and furniture floating inside the houses.

The water "was above the waist, it was very high inside the houses of the people here, not just mine or in two houses, no, the complex (of houses in the region) was flooded with houses under the water, everybody lost everything,"  said Jailson da Silva, an electrician living in Deodoro, while removing his belongings.

Da Silva's neighbour, a 71-year-old woman who lives with her husband and her son, cried while she showed the extent of the flood damages in her home.

"My refrigerator, two refrigerators, one freezer, my stove, I don't have anything. I lost the shopping (the food she bought), frozen products, meat, everything. I don't know what to do," said Jussara Cardoso Marques.

Rio's state government said they are receiving donations and will distribute supplies to those affected by the floods.

Heavy machines will be sent to the different points of the city to remove the mud and the objects –including cars- that were dragged by the water and are blocking the streets.

More rains are expected for Sunday and Monday, and authorities asked the population to remain in safe areas.

The country has suffered severe rains in the last months, and in January heavy rains caused destruction in the southeast of Brazil where more than 80 people died in Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo states.