Thousands of people had to leave their homes and seek safety, as reported by the G1 news portal. 66 cities were affected by the storms. In the small town of Muçum, on the banks of the Taquari River, residents had to be rescued from the roofs due to the floods, the portal also reported.
The death toll from a cyclone in southern Brazil has risen to at least 31. “Four more deaths” have been confirmed, Rio Grande do Sul state governor Eduardo Leite said on Wednesday. This is the storm with the most deaths in the state’s history.
In the most affected city of Mucum alone, 15 bodies were found on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the total was initially 27 deaths, until four more deaths were confirmed. With more torrential rains expected in the coming days, the number of victims could rise even further, according to authorities.
The cyclone caused heavy rain in southern Brazil on Tuesday, causing flooding and landslides. More than 52 thousand people in 70 locations, some of which were remote and difficult to access, were affected by the storm. More than 5,300 residents had to leave their homes. Hundreds of rescue teams, police and volunteers were mobilized to reach people in areas isolated by floods.
Entire areas flooded
Many cities were literally flooded by masses of water. In some places the water rose so much that “many people seek refuge on the roofs of their houses”, said Governor Leites, who declared a state of emergency for the region.
The government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced the sending of helicopters to support rescue operations. The federal government is alongside the people of Rio Grande do Sul “to overcome this crisis”, wrote Lula on the online service X (formerly Twitter).
Given the weather forecasts, a race against time begins for emergency services to rescue people with boats or helicopters, said Leite. The governor warned that the ground was soaked and the riverbeds were already full. A cyclone had already hit Rio Grande do Sul in June. 16 people were killed at that time.
Brazil has been repeatedly hit by weather disasters in recent years, which experts believe are being worsened by climate change. In February, at least 65 people died in the southeast of the state of São Paulo after torrential rains caused floods and landslides.