Brazil: Death toll rises as record flooding continues
May 4, 2024
Dozens of people are dead and thousands were forced to evacuate after days of heavy rain unleashed torrential flooding in southern Brazil.
The capital of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, has been hard-hit by the floodingImage: Gilvan Rocha/Agencia Brasil/picture alliance
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At least 56 people have been killed in floods in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul following days of torrential rain, civil defense authorities said on Saturday.
The severe flooding is partly driven by climate change, experts sayImage: Gilvan Rocha/Agencia Brasil/picture alliance
Another 67 people were still missing, authorities said.
What do we know about the flood catastrophe?
Rising waters brought about by heavy rain since Monday have struck more than 265 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul, with more than 24,000 people forced to abandon their homes.
Houses and bridges have been damaged and many roads have been rendered unusable by the deluge.
A hydroelectric dam located between the municipality of Cotipora and the city of Bento Goncalves partially burst on Thursday, causing a 2-meter-high (6.6-foot-high) wave that aggravated flood damage in the region.
Brazil: Dozens dead in severe flooding
Severe flooding in southern Brazil has killed dozens and forced tens of thousands to leave their homes. Aid is proving difficult, and the governor has called it a "historic disaster".
Image: Diego Vara/REUTERS
Submerged in water
Only the roofs of these houses in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul are still sticking out of the water. Severe storms have been raging in the region since Monday, causing flooding. At least 56 people have died in the floods so far, officials said on Saturday. Scores remain missing, so the number of victims could still rise.
Image: Diego Vara/REUTERS
Hundreds of thousands affected
Those affected are literally up to their necks in water. The heavy rain has flooded entire regions and thousands have had to leave their homes. According to reports, around 320,000 homes currently have no electricity and more than half a million households are cut off from their drinking water supply. The authorities have declared a state of disaster.
Image: Diego Vara/REUTERS
'Historic disaster'
Desperation is written all over the face of this resident holding two cats rescued from the floodwaters. "Unfortunately, we are witnessing a historic disaster," said the governor of the affected state of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, and called on the inhabitants of his state to get to safety.
Image: Diego Vara/REUTERS
Lula promises "100 percent support"
On Thursday, Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited the disaster area accompanied by several Cabinet members. Together with Governor Leite, he took part in a coordination meeting for the rescue operations and pledged his help to those affected: The government would support the authorities in Rio Grande do Sul "100 percent," said the president.
Help is difficult to come by in many places: a lot of roads are flooded and landslides are occurring in mountainous regions. On Thursday, a dam partially burst. More than 200 communities have been affected by the disaster, particularly in the Taquari Valley. Floods already claimed 42 lives there last September. According to Leite, the situation is even worse this time.
Image: Diego Vara/REUTERS
Totally cut off
Entire villages in Rio Grande do Sul are cut off from the outside world: Stretches of highway are impassable, while in some regions relief flights have not been able to take place since Tuesday due to low visibility. Telephone and internet connections have also been disrupted, affecting communications.
Image: CARLOS FABAL/AFP/Getty Images
Rescued from the air
The military is also involved in the rescue operation with 900 troops, boats and helicopters. The soldiers are also helping to clear roads, distribute relief supplies and set up emergency shelters.
Image: Ricardo Stuckert/Brazilian Presidency/AFP
'I've never seen anything like it'
In several villages, people — and pets — were brought to safety in boats. It is uncertain whether they will be able to return: so far, more than 4,600 people have lost their homes in the floods. "I've never seen anything like it, everything is under water," 52-year-old Raul Metzel from the town of Capela de Santana told the AFP news agency.
Image: Anselmo Cunha/AFP/Getty Images
No relief in sight
The rain continued on Friday. President Lula emphasized that the flooding is a consequence of climate change: In recent months, Brazil has repeatedly suffered from heat waves and heavy rainfall. Global warming is causing such extreme weather events to occur more frequently and intensively. Currently, the weather extremes are also being intensified by the El Niño climate phenomenon.
Image: Diego Vara/REUTERS
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More than 2,000 civilian rescue workers and more than 900 soldiers have been deployed to the region to help with rescue efforts.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has called the disaster one of the worst floods in the country's history.
"Never in the history of Brazil has there been so much rain in one place," the president, commonly known as Lula, said at a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the capital, Brasilia.
Climate experts say human-made global warming is driving an increase in such extreme weather events around the world, with the atmosphere currently made even more unstable by the periodic weather system El Nino.
