Heavy rains have struck Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, causing the deaths of 39 people, with the death toll expected to rise, local authorities reported on Friday. Dozens of people are still missing, and the number of casualties could increase as rescue operations continue.
The civil defense authority in Rio Grande do Sul said that 68 people remain unaccounted for, and at least 24,000 have been forced to leave their homes. The storms impacted more than half of the state’s 497 cities, which shares borders with Uruguay and Argentina.
Governor Eduardo Leite told reporters, “These numbers might change as we gain access to more areas.” The intense rains caused streets in several towns to resemble rivers, leading to damage to roads and bridges. The storms also caused landslides and the partial collapse of a dam at a small hydroelectric plant.
Authorities in Bento Goncalves warned that a second dam in the city is at risk of collapsing, prompting evacuation orders for nearby residents. In Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, the Guaiba River overflowed, flooding streets and limiting access to the city’s historic central districts.
The state is at the junction of tropical and polar weather patterns, leading to intense rains followed by periods of drought. Local scientists believe that climate change is worsening these weather extremes.
Last September, Rio Grande do Sul experienced heavy rains from an extratropical cyclone that caused floods, resulting in over 50 deaths. This occurred after more than two years of a severe drought caused by the La Niña phenomenon.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited the state on Thursday to assess the damage and discuss rescue plans with Governor Leite. In Brasília on Friday, Lula promised that his government would support local rescue and reconstruction efforts.
