video transcript

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) STORY: Thousands of people in Rio de Janeiro state were left homeless after days of heavy rains caused major floods. Rio's northern district of Xerem was the most affected region. The streets there turned to running rivers, destroying everything on its way. Only two people have died so far due to the bad weather conditions, but more than 2,000 are estimated to have lost their homes. On Friday Xerem's residents were assessing the damage done to their properties. Many people lost everything, but are glad to be alive. Heavy rains are a regular occurrence during the summer months in Brazil's southeast region. In Rio de Janeiro state, precarious housing built in high risk areas can bear the brunt of nature's devastating force.