Sao Paulo , Brazil ( CNN ) -- Brazilian authorities on Thursday said they were evacuating 4,000 people in the state of Rio de Janeiro after days of heavy rains burst a river dike . According to the Municipal Civil Defense , floodwaters opened up a 20-meter-wide crater in the highway outside of Campos dos Goytacazes , which is about 275 kilometers ( 170 miles ) northeast of the coastal city of Rio de Janeiro . Heavy rains across southern and central Brazil have also wreaked havoc in the state of Minas Gerais , an inland state to the southeast of the nation 's capital of Brasilia . This wet weather spurred mudslides and flooding that earlier killed eight people and forced another 10,000 to leave their homes . This state has declared a state of emergency in 71 towns . January is usually a month with heavy rains . A year ago , more than 800 people died due to floods in the state of Rio de Janeiro .
4,000 in Rio de Janeiro state are evacuated after floodwaters open a 20-meter-wide crater . Rains have caused problems in Minas Gerais state , killing 8 and spurring 10,000 to be evacuated . January is traditionally a wet , rainy and sometimes deadly month in January .