Authorities in Brazil’s São Paulo state say at least 36 people have been killed in severe flooding and landslides, forcing some cities to cancel annual carnival celebrations.
The video showed neighborhoods underwater, highways flooded and debris left behind after homes were swept away.
Rescue teams struggle to reach survivors and clear roads.
More than 600 mm (23.6 inches) of rain fell in some areas on Sunday, twice what was expected for the month.
“Search and rescue teams are not able to get to multiple locations; it’s a chaotic situation,” said Felipe Augusto, the mayor of the hard-hit city of São Sebastião.
“We have not yet estimated the extent of the damage. We are trying to save the victims.”
Dozens are missing from the city and about 50 houses have collapsed and been washed away, Mr Augusto added, saying the situation remained “extremely critical”.
The state government reported at least 35 deaths in São Sebastião and the mayor of Ubatuba, some 80 km (50 miles) northeast, said a young girl had been killed. Hundreds were displaced and evacuated.
“Unfortunately, we will have many more dead,” a civil defense official told the Folha de São Paulo newspaper.
Meanwhile, officials say another 228 people have been made homeless, with 338 others evacuated from coastal regions north of São Paulo.
A 180-day state of emergency has been declared in six cities in the state: São Sebastião, Caraguatatuba, Ilhabela, Ubatuba, Guarujá and Bertioga.
State Governor Tarcísio de Freitas said he had released the equivalent of $1.5million (£1.2million) in funds for disaster relief.
Carnival events have been canceled on the north coast, which is a popular destination for wealthy tourists wanting to avoid huge street parties in the big cities.
The festival typically lasts five days leading up to Christian Lent and the colorful celebrations are synonymous with Brazil.
Latin America’s largest port in Santos was also closed as winds exceeded 55 km/h (34 mph) and waves rose to over a meter high, local media reported.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is spending the carnival weekend in the northeastern state of Bahia, said he would visit the affected areas on Monday.
In a post on Twitter, he offered his condolences to those who lost loved ones and vowed to bring authorities together to provide health care, search for missing people and restore transportation and communications infrastructure.
“We will bring together all levels of government and, with the solidarity of society, treat the wounded, search for missing people, restore highways, electricity and telecommunications in the region,” wrote Mr. da Silva. “My condolences to the families who lost loved ones in this tragedy.”
He added that the entire federal government is “available and working to help with whatever is needed and join forces with the São Paulo government and city halls to help the victims.”
More heavy rains are expected in the region, threatening to worsen conditions for emergency response teams.
Extreme weather events such as flooding are expected to become more frequent as the effects of climate change take hold.
Last year, torrential rains killed more than 230 people in the southeastern city of Petropolis.
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