In southern Brazil, the state of Rio Grande do Sul is currently experiencing unprecedented flooding, affecting over 300 cities and resulting in the deaths of at least 78 people. The civil defense agency of the state announced on May 5 that a recent rainstorm had impacted two-thirds of the nearly 500 cities in the state, leading to landslides and infrastructure damage. The flooding caused traffic congestion, power outages, and left over a million people without access to clean water.
The disaster has also resulted in the collapse of a hydroelectric dam near Bento Goncalves, leading to 30 fatalities. Several other hydroelectric dams in the region are also at risk of breaking due to rising floodwaters. Cities in the Taquari river valley, such as Lajeodo and Estrela, were heavily flooded. Brazilian President Lula da Silva described this as one of the worst floods in Brazilian history, with unprecedented amounts of rain falling on the state.
According to the Brazilian Meteorological Agency, this flood surpassed the “cataclysm” of 1941. In some cities, water levels reached their highest point in nearly 150 years. The disaster left 78 people dead, 101 missing, and over 115,000 evacuated. Rescue efforts involved helicopters airlifting stranded families from rooftops and specialized teams using vehicles and jet skis to access landslides and flooded areas.
In Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, the Guaiba River overflowed, flooding the streets and causing widespread damage. The city’s airport had to halt operations indefinitely due to severe flooding that damaged buildings and runways. People in Porto Alegre were forced to seek refuge on rooftops while others used boats and canoes to navigate through heavily flooded roads. Although rainfall has decreased since then officials are uncertain when waters will recede due to prolonged drought prior to this event.
Rio Grande do Sul is vulnerable to extreme weather events due to its location at