Record rainfall

Over 100 dead in floods in Brazil

(Bild: kameraOne/Maxar (Screenshot))

After extremely heavy rainfall in the south of Brazil, people in the region are fighting against the masses of water. In the state of Rio Grande do Sul, large swathes of land were under water and roads and houses were flooded. According to the local civil defense, 107 people have died so far.

"The effects of the floods and the extent of the tragedy are devastating," wrote the governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite. The capital Porto Alegre is cut off from the outside world, the city center and the airport are under water (see video above).

His government assumes that at least 19 billion reais (the equivalent of 3.4 billion euros) will be needed for reconstruction, Leite said on X. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva promised the region an aid package worth billions. "We must not allow bureaucracy to prevent us from helping the people of Rio Grande do Sul," he wrote on X. Pope Francis pledged the equivalent of 100,000 euros in emergency aid for the victims of the floods, according to the Brazilian Bishops' Conference.

The capital Porto Alegre is cut off from the outside world, the city center and the airport are under water.

(Bild: kameraOne/Maxar (Screenshot))

"The rainfall in Rio Grande do Sul has broken all records. The data shows that it has rained as much in less than 15 days in the entire state as in five months previously, and a new cold front with even more rain is forecast," said meteorologist Carlos Nobre to the state news agency Agência Brasil.

Many missing and hundreds injured
According to the civil defense, 754 people were injured and 134 others are still missing. More than 1.7 million people in 431 towns in the region were affected by the floods. Over 395,000 people had left their homes and sought shelter with relatives or in emergency shelters.

Numerous communities in the disaster area were cut off from electricity and water supplies. Telephone and internet connections were also interrupted in many places. The air force brought relief supplies to the region, including medicine, water treatment plants and food.

City of Canoas hit particularly hard
The city of Canoas was hit particularly hard. "The city has been destroyed. We have lost 19 of the 27 health centers and four of the five district pharmacies have been destroyed," said Mayor Jairo Jorge on Globo TV. "All the schools have been damaged, we have lost infrastructure and sports centers and we have to rebuild everything."

Numerous firefighters and disaster relief workers were deployed in the fight against the floods. In Canoas on Thursday, they rescued a horse that had become stranded on the roof of a house. The animal was anaesthetized and brought ashore in an inflatable boat, as seen on television.

Further heavy rainfall forecast
The Brazilian weather service INMET predicted further heavy rainfall for the region from Friday to Sunday. The Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul issued a warning of heavy rain and strong winds with speeds of more than 90 kilometers per hour for a large part of the state. There was also a risk of thunderstorms and hail.