Another 56 people are missing and at least 25 are injured, Brazil’s regional development minister Daniel Ferreira said on Sunday.
More than 3,900 people have also lost their homes due to the devastating showers, Ferreira added.
Some of the deaths were caused by landslides in the large Recife area, said Pernambuco Civil Defense, which has urged residents living in high-risk areas to seek refuge elsewhere.
Schools have been opened in the town of Recife to accommodate displaced families.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said the Brazilian army would help those affected and would travel to Recife in person on Monday to assess the situation.
“Our government has made all its resources available to help those affected, including the Armed Forces, from the outset,” he tweeted on Sunday.
According to officials, northeastern Brazil has experienced exceptionally high volumes of rainfall. Some areas have seen more rainfall in the last 24 hours than the total volume forecast for May.
Extreme rains have hit Brazil repeatedly in recent months. In December, heavy rains caused two dams to explode in the nearby state of Bahia, killing dozens and flooding entire streets.
Report by Marcelo Medeiros and Michelle Velez of Atlanta, and Marcia Reverdosa in Sao Paulo.