Video captures dozens of coffins washed away in deadly flood amid 'record' levels of rain: 'Families have lost everything'

In a macabre symbol of the deadly floods that have struck Brazil, bystanders saw dozens of coffins being carried away by the fast-moving waters, according to People. 

What's happening?

Haunting images of the coffins were captured in Ubá, Brazil, after flood waters breached a funeral home there.

The floods have killed at least 46 people, with nearly two dozen still missing, according to Al Jazeera. An additional 3,600 people have been displaced by the destruction.  

"Families have lost everything," said a spokesperson for Ubá City Hall, according to news.com.au. "Homes, stories, memories: lives were shaken in just a few hours." 

The floods were brought about by record rainfall in southeast Brazil, which caused waterways to breach their banks and triggered massive landslides, per Al Jazeera.  

Why are the floods in Brazil important?

Beyond the local devastation and loss of life, the recent floods in Brazil served as yet another warning of the devastation that can be caused as extreme weather events grow more severe around the globe. 

From floods to wildfires, these natural disasters take lives, destroy homes, decimate crops, and cripple local economies. Additionally, they can result in soaring insurance premiums and higher food prices, the impacts of which can be felt far from the affected region. 

What's being done about extreme weather events?

In the immediate term, governments and local residents need to take steps to make their communities more resilient in the face of extreme weather events. These measures can include things like building flood walls, restoring wetlands, or maintaining fire-slowing defensible space around one's home. 

However, over the long term, the only way to reverse the trend of more severe extreme weather events is to reduce the amount of pollution being pumped into the planet's atmosphere. For decades, this pollution has been changing weather patterns around the world. 

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