Nearly 70,000 people evacuated due to heavy rains in Brazil – DW – 05/05/2024

Nearly 70,000 people had to leave their homes and more than a million homes are without water supply in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, hit by the climate disaster, the Civil Defense reported this Saturday (05/04/2024) .

In its latest bulletin, the agency also said floods were already affecting half a million residents in the southern region, where officials were working around the clock to rescue those at risk.

The government of Rio Grande do Sul said the flooding, which has already killed 58 people in the country, would continue for several days, despite little rain forecast throughout the weekend.

Authorities expect the flow of the Guaiba River, on whose banks the regional capital of Porto Alegre is located, to remain at very high levels for the next five to ten days, although the pace of its rise has slowed in recent hours. Decline in rainfall.

Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite announced on social networks, “The river will continue with a slow rise until it stabilizes shortly, but it will still have high water; it will not return to normal so soon. Will happen.”

The level of the Guaiba, whose waters have flooded the historic center of Porto Alegre, exceeded the five-meter barrier this morning, the first time this has happened since records began.

civil defense report

Four of the six water treatment stations in the city of 1.3 million were not working this Saturday afternoon, so the mayor’s office advised the population to conserve water.

Additionally, Porto Alegre International Airport was closed indefinitely after the runway was flooded on the night of Friday, May 3.

Despite the reduction in rainfall, Leight warned that fog caused by the moisture could hamper rescue efforts and that river levels in the state would remain high “for several days”.

The latest report from Rio Grande do Sul’s Civil Protection, released in the afternoon, recorded one new death, compared to the morning bulletin, when 57 deaths were recorded.

In addition, 67 people are missing, as well as 32,640 people who have had to move to the homes of family and friends and another 9,581 people have gone to public shelters.

More than 8,000 people have been rescued so far, some of whom had to climb onto the rooftops of their homes to be evacuated by helicopters.

MG (AFP, EFE, AP)