canoe maker francisco de souza has lived in this district on the banks of the madeira for almost 30 years. he says that just a few months ago there were gardens here with tall trees. now he tells us the entire river bank is a stony wasteland. it had to be raised and shored up with rubble, because the river has suddenly become unpredictable. >> i'm no engineer, but i grew up by this river and i think i understand it much better than they do. they've never dealt with currents like this. this river has a strong current that carries a lot of flotsam and sand along with it. the fact that it's now washed away our houses and gardens is linked with this hydro power plant. they deny it, but it's obviously true. nothing like this has ever happened here before. >> the water did indeed rush in with full force after the floodgates were opened. as the first houses collapsed, action had to be taken quickly. 600 people were evacuated. for more than five months they've been living in temporary quarters. the dam operator is covering the costs. but nobody knows what will happen next or whether they'll recei