Reports from the Brazilian civil defense agency revealed that the death toll resulting from the recent devastating storms in the southern part of the country has tragically reached 10, with 21 individuals still unaccounted for.
During this challenging time, Governor Eduardo Leite made an announcement that due to floods and mudslides, the state of Rio Grande do Sul had to cancel classes for Thursday. This decision coincided with a scheduled visit by Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to evaluate the situation and allocate federal aid.
Expressing the severity of the circumstances, Leite emphasized the immediate need for assistance to rescue those trapped in flooded homes.
Describing the situation as unprecedented, Leite outlined the challenges ahead as the meteorological service had predicted continuous rainfall until Saturday.
Approximately 4,400 residents have been relocated, with 107 municipalities declaring a state of emergency.
In Santa Maria, one of the region’s key cities, a mudslide occurred on Wednesday, further exacerbated by a river overflowing its banks, causing bridges and roads to be washed away.
This wave of extreme weather in Rio Grande do Sul this year is part of a larger pattern, following on from a series of nine extratropical cyclones in 2023 that resulted in over 100 fatalities due to flooding and mudslides.