Canoas: As rainfall resumed in Rio Grande do Sul, the death toll from catastrophic floods in Brazil’s southernmost state surged to 113, reported local authorities, marking a stark increase from the previous day’s count of 107.
The relentless storms and flooding wreaking havoc in the state, home to approximately 10.9 million residents, have displaced over 337,000 individuals, with an additional 146 individuals still unaccounted for, according to civil defense officials.
The deluge of heavy rains has caused numerous rivers and lakes in the region to swell to record levels, inundating streets and disrupting transportation networks, leading to shortages of vital supplies in certain areas.
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The weather forecasting agency MetSul cautioned that most cities in Rio Grande do Sul could anticipate continued rainfall on Friday, with a “high risk of storms” persisting until Monday, as outlined in their statement.
In Canoas, one of the hardest-hit municipalities near the state capital of Porto Alegre, over 6,000 people sought refuge in a college gymnasium repurposed as a shelter.
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Aparecida de Fatima Fagundes recounted her harrowing experience, stating, “I keep remembering people saying ‘help’, ‘help’. It was horrible.” She described her struggles to sleep amidst the trauma of what she described as “the worst day” of her life.
The state government reported that over 385,000 individuals were without access to water services, while approximately 20 cities grappled with telecommunication outages.
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In response to the crisis, the federal government announced a comprehensive aid package to assist Rio Grande do Sul, including expedited disbursement of social benefits and provision of affordable credit to farmers and businesses.
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Governor Eduardo Leite underscored the immense scale of the disaster earlier in the week, estimating that the state would require at least 19 billion reais ($3.68 billion) for reconstruction efforts, which extend into agricultural regions surrounding the capital.
