Brazil: 37 killed and dozens missing in worst
floods in 80 years
More than 23,000 people forced to leave homes after
heavy rains in southern Rio Grande do Sul prompt record-breaking floods
Associated
Press in São Paulo
Fri 3 May
2024 19.28 BST
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/03/brazil-floods-rio-grande-do-sul
Heavy rains
in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul have killed 37 people,
with another 74 still missing, as record-breaking floods devastated cities and
forced thousands to leave their homes.
It was the
fourth such environmental disaster in a year, following floods in July,
September and November 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.
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,
such as Lajeado and Estrela, were completely overtaken by water. In the town of
Feliz, 50 miles (80km) from the state capital, Porto Alegre, a massively
swollen river swept away a bridge that connected it with the neighboring city
of Linha Nova.
Operators
reported electricity, communications and water cuts across the state. More than
23,000 people had to leave their homes, according to the civil defense agency.
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 rooftops.
The
downpour started on 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 on Friday.
On Thursday
night, Governor 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.
“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.”
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.
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.
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