Daily Landslide Observatory Report: March 4, 2026
1. Brazil: Fatalities Reach 70 in Minas Gerais; Search Shifts to Reconstruction
As of March 3, 2026, the humanitarian impact of the late-February landslides in southeastern Brazil has solidified. The federal government and INMET (National Institute of Meteorology) confirm 70 fatalities, with 64 occurring in Juiz de Fora and 6 in Ubá.
- Trigger: Record-breaking extreme precipitation; February 2026 is now the wettest month in Juiz de Fora’s history, with rainfall tripling the seasonal average.
- Impact: Over 7,900 people remain displaced. In Juiz de Fora alone, 2,137 individuals are currently homeless due to “shallow but high-velocity” debris flows.
- Risk Reduction: Local authorities are using 15 schools as emergency shelters. Technical assessments by Cemaden indicate that while the rain has paused, the geotechnical stability of the remaining slopes is severely compromised due to total soil saturation.
- More Info: ReliefWeb (ECHO Daily Flash) | The Watchers Technical Update
2. Peru: Emergency Extended to 700 Districts Amid “Coastal El Niño”
The Peruvian government has expanded the State of Emergency (Level 4) as the Coastal El Niño (El Niño Costero) phenomenon intensifies. Landslides, locally known as huaicos, have caused significant destruction across the Andes and the Pacific coast.
- Trigger: Anomalous ocean warming leading to extreme convective rainfall. ENFEN (Peru’s El Niño commission) predicts this pattern may persist through November 2026.
- Impact: 68 deaths reported since the season began. Over 930 km of roads have been destroyed, isolating communities in Arequipa, Piura, and Tumbes.
- Risk Management: The decree aims to fast-track funding for vital infrastructure. SENAMHI (Weather Service) warns that while a brief pause occurred this week, a new surge of intense rainfall is forecasted for March 5–6.
- More Info: U.S. Embassy Lima Weather Alert | Associated Press Report
3. Global Innovation: AI-Powered Early Warning for All in Colombia
In a major step for Landslide Risk Reduction (LRR), the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) and Twilio.org announced a new collaboration this week to strengthen early warning systems in Cali, Colombia.
- The Technology: The project integrates AI-enabled capabilities into the DisasterAWARE platform to identify landslide hazards from satellite imagery faster than traditional methods.
- Communication: A key focus is closing the “last mile” gap by using automated messaging to reach vulnerable hillside populations who previously lacked access to official alerts.
- Why It Matters: Cali represents a high-risk urban environment where steep terrain and informal housing make rapid, localized alerts a matter of life and death.
- More Info: PreventionWeb (UNDRR) | PDC Official Site
Graphics & Visual
- Imagery: For the Brazil disaster, you can reference the Poder360 drone footage which shows the relationship between deforestation and the crown of the landslides (fair use for reporting/educational purposes).
- Charts: Use a SST (Sea Surface Temperature) Anomaly map from NOAA/CPC to illustrate the El Niño trigger for the Peru events.
- Open Access: The NASA Global Landslide Catalog provides public domain geohazard maps that can be used to illustrate the high-risk zones in the Andes.