Cities in Brazilian Amazon Face Worst Floods in Years [PICTURES]

A swath of the Brazilian Amazon is under a state of emergency as rivers overflow in one of the worst floods on record.

The floods have been caused by the rising Rio Solimoes, one of the two main branches of the Amazon river, in places like Anama lying west of Manaus.

While the region is experiencing one of the worst floods in history, the country's northeast faces its worst drought in the last 30 years, affecting well over 500 towns and cities.

This is reportedly not the first climatic crises that the country has faced in recent years. In 2011, over 500 people died in floods in south-eastern Brazil.

Heavy rains have lead to massive mudslides hitting several towns, resulting in thousands being made homeless.

The BBC earlier reported that the death toll during the 2011 floods surpassed the devastating 1967 mudslides in Caraguatatuba, Sao Paulo state, in which up to 430 people perished. Some of the main regions affected during the floods were the mountainous regions of Nova Frigurgo, Petropolis and Teresopolis.

The rains caused all local rivers to overflow in the area during the period resulting in numerous landslides and widespread damage, washing away houses alongside rivers and burying neighbourhoods.

Immediately following the floods and landslides, the president of the Brazilian Red Cross mobilised 16 branches of the National Society and began the coordination of relief efforts from the headquarters. Apart from this, rescue efforts were led by municipal governments, which also provided shelter and amenities for the newly homeless, often in schools.

President Dilma Rousseff announced an emergency 288.7 million pounds budget.

A team of workers in the operation had prior experience with the 2010 Rio de Janeiro floods and the Haiti earthquake.

Besides the 2011 disaster, similar floods and mudslides occurred in the region during 2009 and 2010.

While the 2009 floods affected the north-eastern region of the country, the 2010 floods affected mainly the State of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Start the slideshow to catch a glimpse of the massive floods affecting cities in the Brazilian Amazon: