Floods in Brazil: “Entire cities have to be moved”, devastating consequences of the rains that affect Rio Grande do Sul

Flooding caused by rain and swollen rivers in southern Brazil has caused unprecedented levels of destruction, with at least 100 people already dead and more than 130 missing.

According to officials, it is the worst natural disaster in the history of Rio Grande do Sul state.

It has been raining continuously in the state capital, Porto Alegre, leaving part of the city in the dark and without water.

Due to the rain this Wednesday, the Municipal Council was hampered in the rescue work of the stranded people.

Satellite images show how some of Rio Grande do Sul’s main rivers are in spate left my channel,

Suzanne, who lives in Porto Alegre, says the city’s residents have “never experienced anything like this.”

He added, “There are thousands of people who have lost their homes. We don’t have water. My mother-in-law is 90 years old and rescue workers had to carry her in their arms. It’s unbelievable what is happening.” A voice note he sent to the BBC.

The Aliança Christian Church in Porto Alegre has become one of the temporary shelters for those who cannot return to their homes. houses because many of them are completely underwater,

Rosaleen da Silva is one of them. He currently lives in that church with his three children, one of whom is autistic, and his two dogs.

Tears start flowing down his face as soon as he remembers Two cats that he left on the roof of his house From the Sarandí neighborhood in the north of Porto Alegre. That was the only part that was not swallowed by water.

“My son tried to save them today (Wednesday) but he couldn’t. I cried a lot, I feel very guilty for that,” she tells BBC Brazil, crying.

Latest estimates suggest 155,000 people have become homeless The rains have affected large parts of Rio Grande do Sul’s 497 municipalities.

The devastation has been such that some Brazilian lawmakers, such as the president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, have proposed creating a “war budget,” similar to those planned during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Valdez Goes, Minister of Integration and Regional Development, estimated that rebuilding flood-damaged roads in the south should cost at least one billion reais (US$200 billion).

According to Marcelo Dutra da Silva, professor of ecology at the Federal University of Rio Grande, extreme climate changes are here to stay and that is why Brazil must plan the reconstruction of the Rio Grande do Sul taking into account what is the safest and most What are the resistant areas? Extreme climate variations, which are here to stay.

“Entire cities will have to relocate. Urban infrastructure needs to be moved away from the most at-risk environments, which are low-lying, flat and humid areas, hilly terrain, river banks and within valleys,” he told the BBC. Are.” Brazil.

Such changes would involve what he calls “deadification”: removing existing urban structures in at-risk areas and rebuilding them in safe areas.

“We need to hand over these places most vulnerable to floods to nature,” he says.

Before May 6, the density of clouds over many areas of Rio Grande do Sul prevented the taking of aerial images that would allow us to understand the magnitude of the damage.

But on Monday the sky started looking clear total devastation of some areas,

In Charquedas, a town of 41,000 inhabitants west of Porto Alegre, the Yaqui River swelled and became a sea of ​​mud that swept away everything in its path.

The city of Cruzeiro do Sul, which is on the banks of the Taquari, a river that flows into the Yaqui, recorded eight deaths on Tuesday, the highest in the state, according to a bulletin issued by authorities.

The municipality borders Lajeado and has about 12,000 inhabitants.

Satellite photos allow us to estimate the magnitude of the flood and how the river “invaded” areas with houses and buildings.

Meteorological agency Metsul predicts that in the south of the state, near the cities of Pelotas and Rio Grande, flooding will worsen in the coming days and water will reach places “where it had never reached.”

“The amount of water flowing in the approximately 300 kilometers between Guaiba and the southern part of Lagoa dos Patos, technically Laguna dos Patos, is enormous. All rivers flowing into Lagoa They have had record floods“, the agency continues.

“Water will reach places in Pelotas where it had never reached, including the center (…) In some places, flooding will be severe to extreme.”

For its part, Climatempo, a Brazilian television channel specializing in weather forecasts, announced that there is concern about the forecast of storms (heavy rain accompanied by lightning) and strong winds throughout the state, more than the amount of rain.

As of this Thursday morning, approximately 1.4 million people were affected in 425 municipalities (85% of the municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul).

Furthermore, close 67,000 people were in shelters And another 164,000 had to leave their homes.

The forecast for the weekend is even worse.

As of Friday, there are “persistent rainfall, thunderstorm activity and extreme accumulation conditions,” particularly in the north-central region of the state, including areas that have already been heavily impacted.

Civil Protection warned that people evacuated from flooded areas or at risk of landslides should not return to their homes, especially in the metropolitan area of ​​Porto Alegre.

The forecast is that, even without rain, the river will remain above flood level for much of next week and levels will not return to normal until the end of May.

*With reporting from BBC News Brazil.

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