Brazilians braved lethal snakes and alligators to paddle swollen rivers in search of food and shelter as the worst rainfall and flooding in two decades hit the vast northern Amazon region.

Authorities reported yesterday at least 33 deaths from drowning and mudslides and said that 214,000 people have fled swamped, ramshackle homes, some huddling with livestock in shelters and others complaining of slow government response.

Rain continued across a huge swath stretching from the jungle to the northeastern Atlantic coast, and meteorologists predicted the bad weather could last for weeks.