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Southern Brazil hit by the worst floods in 80 years. At least 39 people have died

Heavy rains in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul killed 39 people, with another 68 still missing, the state civil defense agency said, as record-breaking floods devastated cities and forced thousands to leave their homes.

Quick Read

  • Devastating Floods in Southern Brazil: Southern Brazil, specifically the state of Rio Grande do Sul, has experienced the worst floods in over 80 years, resulting in at least 39 deaths and 68 people still missing.
  • Record-breaking Water Levels: The current flooding surpasses the historic 1941 floods, with some cities experiencing the highest water levels since records started nearly 150 years ago.
  • Infrastructure and Utility Disruptions: A dam at a hydroelectric plant partially collapsed, and cities like Lajeado and Estrela are completely submerged. Over 24,000 people have been displaced, and the region faces significant electricity, communication, and water service disruptions.
  • Rescue and Relief Efforts: Helicopter rescues are ongoing for stranded families. The state governor has promised steadfast action, and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed solidarity with the victims.
  • Extended Weather Crisis: The heavy rain began on Monday and is expected to continue through Saturday, worsening the already critical situation.
  • Climate Factors: The floods are intensified by El Niño, which has historically caused severe weather patterns in the region. This year’s El Niño effects are particularly severe, also causing droughts in the Amazon.

The Associated Press has the story:

Southern Brazil hit by the worst floods in 80 years. At least 39 people have died

Newslooks- SAO PAULO (AP) —

Heavy rains in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul killed 39 people, with another 68 still missing, the state civil defense agency said, as record-breaking floods devastated cities and forced thousands to leave their homes.

A soldier evacuates a dog from an area flooded by heavy rains, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

It was the fourth such environmental disaster in a year, following floods in July, September and November 2023 that killed 75 people in total.

The flooding statewide has surpassed that seen during a historic 1941 deluge, according to the Brazilian Geological Service. In some cities, water levels were at their highest since records began nearly 150 years ago, the agency said.

Residents and their pets evacuate a flooded area after heavy rain in Sao Sebastiao do Cai, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

On Thursday, a dam at a hydroelectric plant between the cities of Bento Goncalves and Cotipora partially collapsed and entire cities in the Taquari River valley, like Lajeado and Estrela, were completely overtaken by water. In the town of Feliz, 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the state capital, Porto Alegre, a massively swollen river swept away a bridge that connected it with the neighboring city of Linha Nova.

Streets are flooded after heavy rain in Sao Sebastiao do Cai, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

Operators reported electricity, communications and water cuts across the state. More than 24,000 people had to leave their homes, according to the civil defense agency.

People evacuate from an area flooded by heavy rains, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

Without internet, telephone service or electricity, residents struggled to provide updates or information to their relatives living in other states. Helicopters flew continually over the cities while stranded families with children awaited rescue on the rooftops.

Streets are flooded after heavy rain in Sao Sebastiao do Cai, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

Isolete Neumann, 58, lives in the city of Lajeado in the Taquari River valley and told The Associated Press she has never before seen a scenario like the one she is now experiencing.

“People were making barricades in front of hospitals with sand and gravel. It felt like a horror movie,” she said by phone. Some people in her region were so desperate, she added, that they threw themselves into the water currents.

Streets are flooded after heavy rain in Sao Sebastiao do Cai, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

Neumann’s own neighborhood wasn’t inundated, but has no running water and she hasn’t showered since Tuesday. She said she’s collecting rainwater in a basin to be able to cook. A clothing store she owns in the city’s central area is flooded, she added.

“I don’t even know how it must be. There must be nothing left.”

Streets are flooded after heavy rain in Sao Sebastiao do Cai, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

The downpour started Monday and is expected to last at least through Saturday, Marcelo Seluchi, chief meteorologist at the National Center for Monitoring and Alerts of Natural Disasters, told Brazil’s public television network Friday.

On Thursday night, Gov. Eduardo Leite alerted the state’s population — known as gauchos — about the persistence of rains and floods. The situation was expected to worsen in Porto Alegre, he said.

Firefighters evacuate people from a flooded area after heavy rain in Sao Sebastiao do Cai, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

“As a human being, I am devastated inside, just like every gaucho is,” he said. “But as governor, I am here steadfast and I guarantee that we will not falter. We are doing everything with focus, attention, discipline, and outrage, to ensure that everything within our reach is done.”

FILE – Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil, arrives for a German and Brazil governments meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023. Israel on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024, condemned Brazil’s president for comparing the situation in Gaza to the Holocaust, accusing him of being antisemitic and trivializing the Naza genocide of European Jews during World War II. The outcry further strained relations between the countries, which have deteriorated since President Lula returned to office last year. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva acknowledged the flood victims at a press conference on Friday alongside Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Brasilia.

“The first words from Minister Fumio Kishida in the meeting we held were of solidarity with the people of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, who are victims by one of the largest floods we have ever known. Never before in the history of Brazil had there been such a quantity of rain in one single location,” Lula said.

Streets are flooded after heavy rain in Sao Sebastiao do Cai, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

Weather across South America is affected by the climate phenomenon El Niño, a periodic, naturally occurring event that warms surface waters in the Equatorial Pacific region. In Brazil, El Niño has historically caused droughts in the north and intense rainfall in the south.

People evacuate an area flooded by heavy rains, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

This year, the impacts of El Niño have been particularly dramatic, with a historic drought in the Amazon. Scientists say extreme weather is happening more frequently due to human-caused climate change.

A man wades through an area flooded by heavy rains, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

Karina Lima, a 36-year-old scientist and PhD candidate in climatology at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, told The Associated Press that the state is located in a region with certain characteristics that amplify El Niño’s destructive potential.

An aerial view of an area flooded by heavy rains, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

“Models have long predicted that Rio Grande do Sul will continue to see an increase in average annual precipitation and extreme precipitation, meaning more concentrated and severe rainfall,” she said.

People evacuate an area flooded by heavy rains, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

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