BRAZIL- Over 40 people have died while close to 70,000 have been rendered homeless by weeks of torrential rain in the states of Espirito Santo and Minas Gerais.

Troops have been deployed to help distribute food, water and medicine to areas cut off by flooding and landslides and to repair roads.

Speaking about the incident, Espirito Santo State Governor Renato Casagrande said the state must be rebuilt due to damages caused to bridges and roads.

President Dilma Rousseff interrupted her Christmas break to fly to her home state of Minas Gerais to survey the damage.

Residents of the city of Governador Valadares blocked a major highway on Thursday night demanding the federal government offer more help in the wake of the destruction.

The military is taking advantage of the break in the weather to deliver aid by helicopter.

In 2011, more than 800 people were killed in floods in what officials said was the worst natural disaster ever to befall Brazil.