Flood devastated Eldorado do Sul | ANSELMO CUNHA/AFP/METSUL METEOROLOGY
By Maurício Rabuffetti in Eldorado do Sul
The engine of “Gulu”, Ricardo Frediani’s speedboat, roars through the waters of the Guaíba, which has flooded Porto Alegre. He heads towards the devastated Eldorado do Sul, covered by the waters of the historic flood of the Jacuí River. The rain is back and time is running out to save anyone possible.
Meanwhile, in the Medianeira neighborhood, in the same location, Katiane Mello waits for a boat to take her to what was once her home. She left on Thursday, May 2nd, when the torrential rains that fell over the state of Rio Grande do Sul caused the river to overflow and the water reached the level of the second floor, where she lived with her husband James Vargas and their daughter. Natalia, 5 years old.
The muddy waters of Guaíba record an incessant coming and going of vessels transporting food to those who refuse to leave their homes despite the danger. A police boat guards the entrance to the submerged neighborhood.
“The water is getting really low!”, exclaims Ricardo, as he asks his son Guilherme, a 26-year-old dentistry student, to help him stabilize the boat with an oar.
The ebb causes a strong current as the water seeks a way out through the flooded streets. At the stern, the modern silhouette of Porto Alegre stands out, the state capital of 1.4 million inhabitants mourning a tragedy that has already claimed more than a hundred lives. At the bow, the image is dramatic: submerged houses, destroyed cars, flooded stores.
The crew members’ heads pass less than one meter from the disconnected power cables. Some people watch from rooftops. They are those who did not want to leave “for fear of break-ins”, explains to AFP Frediani, a 62-year-old lubricant salesman who puts his hand over his heart when asked why he risks his own life in the flood.
Now “Gulu” advances slowly, avoiding tilted power system poles and partially covered car roofs. The resistance of the water forces you to force the engine. “Yesterday the current didn’t have that strength,” says Frediani.
Mayor of Eldorado asked the entire population to evacuate the city due to the flood | NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP/METSUL METEOROLOGY
A large part of Eldorado do Sul can only be accessed by boat | NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP/METSUL METEOROLOGY
Boats and boats instead of cars in Eldorado do Sul | NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP/METSUL METEOROLOGY
City of Eldorado do Sul will have to be rebuilt | CARLOS FABAL/AFP/METSUL METEOROLOGY
Even heavy Army vehicles encountered difficulties in the great flood | CARLOS FABAL/AFP/METSUL METEOROLOGY
At about 400 meters it is possible to see movement. Will it be residents or the police? The many rescuers say there was a lot of looting and the place became dangerous. The presence of heavily armed security personnel is obvious. Katiane is among this group of residents, at the end of the street, hoping to get closer to her house.
“Gulu” arrives at the destination and Katiane asks if it is possible to walk through the water. “We lost our livelihood, […] the convenience store. And the house…”, he says, interrupting his speech. She could be swept away by the current. Frediani and his son offer a place on the boat to go to their house, or what’s left of it. “We don’t know how it is [a casa] … Look at the height [da água]. Jesus Christ!” exclaims the woman.
Eldorado do Sul was the hardest hit city in the Jacuí River Delta west of Porto Alegre | CARLOS FABAL/AFP/METSUL METEOROLOGY
Flood took over Eldorado do Sul | NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP/METSUL METEOROLOGY
Katiane Mello and her husband James Vargas cry before leaving their home in Eldorado do Sul. Teams raced against the clock to deliver help to the few still in Eldorado do Sul | CARLOS FABAL/AFP/METSUL METEOROLOGY
Katiane couldn’t contain her tears. The landscape is one of total destruction. It was her neighborhood, her life and that of her family. A few meters away, the residence appears. “It’s there! Did they break in?”
Frediani and his son observe the scene in silence. Katiane holds her breath. Someone holds her until what for this woman is a miracle happens… “It’s intact!”, says her husband. James arrived first.
With the lack of cell phone signal, the husband was unable to make contact. She throws herself from the boat into the water, climbs the stairs and, on the way, collects her discarded, damp, irretrievable clothes. Everything is there. She believed that the family had lost what they had built with so much sacrifice. And she hugs her husband tightly.
On the walls there are photos of little Natália, of the couple when they were young, of their parents, now elderly and sick. A wooden sign reads: “Eternal love. Family”. Frediani and his son Guilherme smile from the water, hugging “Gulu”.
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.
