Firefighters found the body of Sérgio Luiz Cordeiro, 67, buried after a landslide caused by heavy rains in Natividade da Serra, in São Paulo's interior. The man had been missing since Sunday (February 22) when his home was hit by a collapsing embankment near Oswaldo Cruz Highway. This brings the total deaths related to rains in the state to 19 since December 2025.
Amid heavy rains affecting São Paulo state, firefighters located the body of Sérgio Luiz Cordeiro, 67, in Natividade da Serra on Monday (February 23, 2026). The elderly man had been missing since the previous Sunday when an embankment collapsed onto his home, located near km 64 of Oswaldo Cruz Highway (SP-125), between São Luiz do Paraitinga and Natividade da Serra.
According to the Civil Defense, the area was isolated due to the risk of further landslides. Five other landslides were recorded on the same highway, including one that hit a farm at km 67, leading to temporary closure of the road for cleanup and technical assessment. The highway has since been reopened.
The state Civil Defense confirmed that this death raises the total fatalities related to rains to 19 since the start of Operation SP Sempre Alerta – Chuvas on December 1, 2025. The 18th death occurred on February 18, 2026, in Pirassununga, where a tree fell on a house during heavy rain and strong winds, killing an 11-month-old child. To curb the rising incidents, the state government set up a crisis office at the Civil Defense's Emergency Management Center, which will remain active at least until Thursday (February 26), while the red alert for heavy rainfall continues until Friday (February 27) along the São Paulo coast.
The National Institute of Meteorology (INMET) issued a danger alert for the eastern strip of the state, citing risks of flooding, slope landslides, and river overflows. On Sunday, the Paraibuna River overflowed without reports of displaced people. In the northern coast, in Ubatuba, two deaths were recorded on February 21, 2026, from a boat sinking during the rains, along with flooding and highway closures.
