Porto Alegre center recorded flooding
On Friday (3), a gate of the flood protection system broke in Porto Alegre and caused flooding. Images show the Internacional and Grêmio CTs completely flooded. The bus station and the historic center of the capital were also taken by water.
Civil Defense advised residents, traders and workers to leave the historic center of Porto Alegre. An alert was issued for “extreme flooding” in Guaíba for 24 hours and the population should avoid areas close to the river.
Guaíba level surpasses record. The river reached 5.19 meters in height at 5pm (Brasília time) this Saturday and showed a slight variation at 7pm, dropping to 5.17 meters. At 8 pm, the level rose again to 5.22 meters. Guaíba surpassed the record for the largest flood recorded up to that time, of 4.76 meters, in 1941, when it flooded a large part of the center.
Guaíba should remain above 5 meters for 2 to 3 days, says hydrologist. According to Pedro Camargo, from the State Situation Room, the peak should occur in this interval due to the volume of water arriving from the Jacuí River. He estimates, however, that the level of Guaíba should remain at very high levels, around four meters, for up to 10 days.
Governor says the situation is “absurdly exceptional”. “It’s not just another critical case. It’s the most critical that the state will probably record in its history,” said Eduardo Leite in press conference on Thursday night (2). Guaíba receives water from different river basins affected by storms, such as Taquari and Caí.
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