URGENT – Catastrophic flood in Vale do Taquari is the biggest in history

The level of the Taquari River in Lajeado e Estrela, in the Taquari Valley, surpassed the 30 meter mark this evening for the first time since measurements began a century and a half ago. The level exceeds those of the major and hitherto record floods of 1941 and 2023, when Taquari reached levels of around 29 meters.

The Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul issued an urgent statement this evening instructing the evacuation of the population from risk areas in several cities in the Taquari Valley in the face of flooding that has reached catastrophic levels.

“The State Civil Defense alerts the population to the condition of the TAQUARI RIVER, which has been receiving significant volumes due to the heavy rains of recent days in the State and is extraordinarily exceeding its flood quota. It is EXPRESSLY ADVISED that residents of the municipalities of: Santa Tereza, Muçum, Roca Sales, Arroio do Meio, Encantado and Lajeado leave risk areas and seek public shelters or another safe place to stay during the rise in the level of the Taquari River”.

“People who do not have alternative locations should seek information from their city’s Civil Defense about public shelters made available by City Halls, escape routes and security points”, says the statement.

MetSul Meteorologia advises residents of Vale do Taquari to tune in to local radio stations, such as Independente and A Hora, which provide special coverage of the major flood with guidance and information for the population 24 hours a day during the crisis.

MetSul Meteorologia warns that, even if the river stabilizes or falls in some parts of the basin in the valley, the river could rise again and reach even higher levels than tonight due to the large volume of rain that falls and is still forecast for the upper part of the basin, in the Serra.

MetSul Meteorologia is on WhatsApp channels. Subscribe here to access the channel in the messaging app and receive forecasts, alerts and information about the most important events in the weather and climate in Brazil and around the world, with exclusive data and information from our team of meteorologists.