Almost 850 thousand people (844,673) have been impacted so far by the heavy rains that have hit Rio Grande do Sul since last week. The most recent Civil Defense bulletin – released at 6pm this Sunday (5) – indicates that there are 78 confirmed deaths and at least four more under investigation. The number of injured is 175 and there are 105 missing.
Due to the bad weather, 134,331 people had to leave the homes they live in, with 115,844 homeless and another 18,487 living in shelters. Of the 497 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul, 341 were affected by some event related to rain.
The last environmental catastrophe in Rio Grande do Sul was in September 2023, when 54 people died after the passage of an extratropical cyclone.
Now, the total number of deaths is well above the previous figure and is considered by authorities to be the worst climate disaster in Rio Grande do Sul’s history.
Infrastructure Services
In the most recent bulletin, there is also information about state infrastructure services, brought together by the Departments of Environment and Infrastructure, Logistics and Transport and Education.
At least 261 thousand points in the state are without electricity (27% of total customers) and more than 854 thousand are without water supply (27% of the total).
Rain causes damage and changes in traffic on highways. There are 110 sections on 61 highways with total and partial closures, including roads and bridges. The information is from the Autonomous Department of Highways (Daer). According to the Secretariat of Logistics and Transport (Selt), work is underway to clear the roads as quickly as possible.
Data was also released regarding schools affected by the floods, which includes those that were damaged, serving as shelters, with transport and access problems, among other issues. In this situation, there are 733 schools in 229 municipalities, with 247,228 students impacted.
Alert
Civil Defense informs that – to increase the level of prevention – people can register and receive weather alerts from the agency. Simply send the location’s zip code via SMS to the number 40199. A confirmation will be sent and the number will be available to receive the information.
It is also possible to register via Whatsapp: number (61) 2034-4611. A customer service robot will interact and the user will be able to share their current location or any other location of interest to receive messages from Civil Defense.
