The city of Porto Alegre confirmed this Monday (6) that more than 9 thousand people are sheltering in 60 locations in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul as a result of the heavy rains that have hit Rio Grande do Sul since last week.
According to city hall forecasts, the level of flooding in the Cidade Baixa region, one of the most affected areas in the capital, could rise by 1.5 meters in the next few hours.
Currently, only four of the 23 pump houses for pumping rainwater are in operation. The system is used to pump rainwater back to Lake Guaíba and prevent flooding in the streets of the capital of Rio Grande do Sul.
The shutdown occurred due to electrical outages caused by flooding of power substations. With the shutdown of part of the pumps, the level of flooding may increase in the city.
In addition to the electrical problem, the pumps only work at full capacity up to the limit of 3 meters of flooding. The flood of Lake Guaíba reached 5.27 meters this afternoon.
At a press conference, Mayor Sebastião Melo said that he is considering expanding the blockades in the city to prevent population movement in view of the heavy rain forecast for the next few days.
“We will have to make a decision about circulation. Not to close the entire city, but to increase the ban on circulation in the city. It is a decision that will be taken in the next few hours”, he stated.
To date, Civil Defense has recorded 85 deaths and 134 missing across the state.
