Floods Drive Thousands From Their Homes in Brazil

Civil defense officials say floods and mudslides caused by heavy rains have killed at least eight people and forced more than 13,000 to leave their homes in southeastern Brazil.

The civil defense department in Minas Gerais state says Wednesday on its website that nearly 9,800 people left their homes as rivers overflowed their banks and mudslides hit several areas. Five people drowned or were killed by mudslides.

In Rio de Janeiro, the civil defense service says floods killed three people and forced 3,800 to leave their homes.

Outside Rio, floods threaten the same hillside communities that were hit one year ago by mudslides and floods that killed more than 800 people and forced some 20,000 people from their homes.