The governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, and ministers Paulo Pimenta (Secretariat of Social Communication of the Presidency) and Waldez Góes (Integration and Regional Development) stated that the governments’ joint efforts are currently focused on rescuing as many of people. 
At least since last Monday (29), Rio Grande do Sul has been hit by heavy rains, which caused landslides, floods and other events in at least 317 municipalities.
According to the most recent report from the Rio Grande do Sul government, 55 deaths were confirmed as a result of the storms. Another 107 people were injured and another 74 are missing. In total, there are 13,324 people in shelters and 69,242 homeless.
Eduardo Leite, governor of Rio Grande do Sul (left), Paulo Pimenta, minister of the Social Communication Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic during a press conference. Photograph: Lucas Leffa/Secom-PR
“That’s what’s on record. As situations are still being investigated, this number [de mortos] it can grow exponentially”, said Leite at a press conference.
“This is still a time for rescues, for reaching the locations,” added the governor.
Rescues
The state’s roads have more than 120 blocked points, which makes operations difficult. According to Minister Paulo Pimenta, there are 32 aircraft operating to rescue the population and more than 10 thousand rescues have been carried out to date.
“Tomorrow will still be a fundamental day for saving lives,” said Pimenta, chief minister of the Presidency’s Social Communication Secretariat.
“We will seek until the last moment to save everyone who can be saved,” he added. “Then together we will think about the work of reconstruction, of reestablishment”.
According to authorities, the main points of attention are concentrated in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, which is facing the largest flood ever recorded on the Guaíba River, which has been receiving significant volumes of water coming from the interior of the state.
This Saturday, the river reached five meters, two meters above the flood level. The central region of Porto Alegre and other neighborhoods are experiencing flooding and, in some locations, thousands of people had to be evacuated.
Reconstruction
The Minister of Regional Integration and Development, Waldez Góes, said that the department already has a series of meetings scheduled for the next few days with state government teams, so that work can begin on planning the reconstruction and recovery of the affected regions.
Asked about how much the federal government intends to spend on reconstruction efforts, minister Paulo Pimenta did not cite a figure, but reaffirmed “that there is no budget limit, there is no personnel limit, there is no equipment limit”.
Governor Eduardo Leite recalled that the level of Rio Grande do Sul’s rivers should take days to fall, and that therefore “there will be many days of many problems”. He stressed the need for an exceptional reconstruction plan to be drawn up, with easier procedures for releasing resources.
He also thanked the Armed Forces and the federal government for their support in helping the affected population.
“We must all live up to what history demands of us at this moment, as public authorities, putting aside all differences [políticas]”, stated the governor of Rio Grande do Sul. “Anyone who has already been a victim of the tragedy cannot be a victim after the lack of assistance, delay and bureaucracy.”
