From April to May 1941, it rained 24 days in a row and the water volume rose to 4.76 meters; this Saturday (May 4), the Guaíba River reached 5.19 meters
83 years ago, in May 1941, it rained for 24 days in a row and Porto Alegre was exactly as it is this Saturday (May 4, 2024): flooded. History repeated itself in practically the same days and months of the last century.
In 1941, the waters began to rise ominously on May 2. And, 6 days later, on May 8, they reached 4.76 meters. In what became the worst flood in the history of the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, the waters of the Guaíba River reached 5.19 meters at 5pm this Saturday (May 4) and only began to retreat, to 5.17 meters, in the early evening.
See an image of the 1941 flood below:
Reproduction/Instagram
The difference is that this year the force of the waters reached 317 of the 476 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul, affecting more than half a million people.
According to Civil Defense, as of 6pm this Saturday (May 4), 55 deaths had been recorded, with another 7 being under investigation. There are 107 injured and 74 missing, in addition to 13,324 people in shelters and 69,242 homeless.
The rains have not yet let up and the floods are also taking over neighboring states. Santa Catarina has already recorded one death and, in Paraná, a couple died while crossing a bridge in a car, which ended up being carried away by the current.
