The death toll from the torrential rains that have pounded the Brazilian state of Bahia since November increased to 18 on Sunday, authorities said, amid persistent torrents that have uprooted 35,000 people.

Firefighters in Bahia verified the death of a 60-year-old man who drowned Sunday in a river in the state's south.

Two persons are also missing, while 19,580 people have been displaced and another 16,001 have been forced to seek shelter, bringing the total to 35,000, according to the Bahia civil protection agency Sudec.

Sudec noted that another 286 individuals had been hurt since the downpours began.

Over 430,800 people have been harmed, and the issue has only become worse in recent days.

By Sunday afternoon, Sudec reported that the number of towns in a state of emergency had increased to 72, with 58 in crisis owing to flooding.

"It's an enormous tragedy," Governor Rui Costa said Sunday after surveying devastated areas via plane.

"I'm not aware of something of this magnitude occurring in Bahia's recent history. The number of entirely submerged homes, streets, and towns is simply frightening."

Since Saturday, a joint operation of federal and state emergency agencies has been launched to rescue thousands of residents stranded in their homes due to the flooding.