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80-Meter Crater Emerges in City in Maranhão and May Consume Houses: Buriticupu City Hall Declares State of Public Calamity and Advancement of Gully Erosion Impacts Several Families.
The Buriticupu City Hall, located approximately 415 km from São Luís in Maranhão, declared a state of public calamity on February 11, 2025, due to the advancement of gully erosion—large craters resulting from erosive processes that threaten urban infrastructure and residents’ safety. The gully erosion phenomenon has affected the region for over 30 years, but the situation has worsened in recent weeks due to heavy rains, which intensified erosion and resulted in the opening of craters up to 80 meters deep.
Currently, about 1,200 people living in 250 homes located in risk areas in the neighborhoods of Caeminha, Centro, Vila Isaias, Santos Dumont, Eco Buriti, Terra Bela, Sagrima, and Terceira Vicinal are directly threatened.
With the declaration of public calamity, the city hall seeks to expedite the acquisition of state and federal resources to implement emergency measures to contain the gully erosion and relocate the affected families. Additionally, Carnival festivities have been canceled, redirecting efforts and resources to address the current crisis.
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City in Maranhão Will Request Resources from State and Federal Government
With the declaration of public calamity, the municipality of Buriticupu will be able to request resources from the State and Federal Government without the need for bidding, speeding up measures to contain the 80-meter crater.
The Maranhão courts have determined that the city hall take urgent measures, such as delimiting and isolating risk areas, updating the records of families impacted by the gully erosion, and presenting a plan for containing the craters.
In the last three decades, more than 70 houses have been consumed by gully erosion, and over 180 families have been impacted. An 80-meter deep crater opened this week in the city in Maranhão, but others have reached up to 600 meters in length.
The soil in the Buriticupu region, composed of clay, sand, and silt, has low porosity, exacerbating the problem. The advancement of deforestation also contributes to soil instability, making it more susceptible to the emergence of new holes.
The city in Maranhão had already declared a state of public calamity in 2023 and 2024. In August of last year, the Federal Government released R$ 45.7 million to contribute to containment efforts; however, according to Mayor João Carlos Teixeira (PP), the resources were directed toward housing projects. He emphasizes that the municipality awaits the release of funds for preventive works.
About 1,200 People Are at Risk Due to the 80-Meter Crater
In some of the most critical areas of the city in Maranhão, the holes have advanced more than 20 meters toward homes. With the declaration of public calamity, the Buriticupu city hall, which has over 50,000 residents, authorizes the expropriation processes for private homes at risk of being consumed by the advance of land fissures.
According to the city hall, 1,200 people and 250 homes are at risk due to being located in danger areas because of the 80-meter crater. The municipal decree provides for the replacement of the current homes with others located in safe areas, but does not specify which. The text mandates that the process of dismantling and reconstruction must be supported by the community.
The waiver of bidding for contracts related to resolving the public calamity issue in Buriticupu is valid for six months. It is worth mentioning that Teixeira met this month with the Minister of Regional Development, Waldez Góes, in Brasília to discuss the release of the service order and contracting for the commencement of emergency works.
Understand What Gully Erosion Is
A gully, also called boçoroca, is a geological phenomenon that consists of the formation of enormous erosion holes, generated by rain and weather conditions, in soils where vegetation is very scarce and does not protect the soil, which becomes gravelly and susceptible to being carried away by flash floods.
This form of advanced erosion occurs in sharply sloping areas, generally starting with water runoff in areas where the soil is unprotected, either due to the removal of natural vegetation or human activity, such as inadequate agriculture.
The rainwater in Buriticupu flows over the soil’s surface, generating small grooves that become increasingly deep and wide over time, forming a gully.
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