The number of deaths due to the storms that hit Rio Grande do Sul rose to 39Civil Defense announced in the early evening of this Friday (3). See below the cities where the deaths occurred.
In addition to the dead, there are 68 missing It is 74 people injured. Civil Defense adds 32,248 people away from home, with 8,168 people in shelters and 24,080 homeless, staying with family or friends. In all, 235 of the state’s 496 municipalities recorded some type of problemaffecting 351,639 thousand people.
“These numbers could change substantially over the next few days, as we are able to access the locations and identify other lives lost”, says governor Eduardo Leite (PSDB).
- Cinnamon (2)
- Candelaria (1)
- Caxias do Sul (1)
- Bento Gonçalves (1)
- Boa Vista do Sul (2)
- Paverama (2)
- Pantano Grande (1)
- Pinhal Grande (1)
- Putinga (1)
- Lawn (4)
- Itaara (1)
- Enchanted (1)
- Salvador do Sul (2)
- Serafina Corrêa (2)
- Secret (1)
- Santa Maria (2)
- Santa Cruz do Sul (4)
- São João do Polêsine (1)
- Silveira Martins (1)
- Vera Cruz (1)
- Taquara (2)
- Saint Wendelin (2)
- Three Crowns (3)
Civil Defense placed most of the state’s river basins at risk of water rising above the flood level.
Of the 100 sent to the region, 60 of them are firefighters to assist in responding to the disaster caused by storms in the state. 25 pickup trucks, two buses, a truck and three rescue boats will also be moved to the state. There are 36 federal police officers who are directly involved in the work.
The Federal Highway Police (PRF) mobilized 75 agents for rescue and rescue operations for people affected by the floods, in addition to seven rescue specialists.
In Guaíba, in Porto Alegre, the water level has already exceeded 4.5 meters and advanced over streets and avenues, causing flooding in sections of the waterfront, in the South Zone, as well as Mauá and Conceição avenues, on the access to the Capital. The Porto Alegre bus station is flooded, which has suspended 95% of travel.
It is the biggest flood since 1941. The Municipal Secretariat for the Environment and Infrastructure (Sema) reported that, in the early hours of this Friday, the hydrometeorological station installed at Cais Mauá, in Porto Alegre, presented reading problems. The agency says that technicians from the Department of Water Resources and Sanitation are, together with Civil Defense, investigating the level “in loco”, and that it is working to resume access and availability of data as soon as possible.
The prospect is that Guaíba will continue to rise, possibly exceeding 5 meters.
“Our projections still indicate that it will exceed the flood of 1941reaching 5 meters in the late afternoon of Friday (3) as well”, says Pedro Luiz Camargo, hydrologist at the RS Situation Room.
The flood level is 3 meters. Because of this, Civil Defense issued an alert for “extreme flooding”. The guidance is for the population to avoid all regions close to Guaíba and risky places.
The Trade Shopkeepers Union (Sindilojas) and the Chamber of Shopkeepers (CDL) of Porto Alegre announced that commercial establishments were ordered to close in the Historic Center and also in the 4th District.
Internacional announced the closure of the Parque Gigante Training Center (CT), which is located on the banks of the Guaíba. The initiative was taken to ensure the safety of athletes and club employees.
Grêmio’s Luiz Carvalho Training Center is also suffering from the effects of heavy rain. The water reached the Grêmio complex and completely flooded Rua João Moreira Maciel, where the entrance to the CT is located.
Meteorologists say that the storms that occur in Rio Grande do Sul are a reflection of at least three phenomena that occur in the region, aggravated by climate change. Over the next 24 hours, more rain is forecast.
The tragedy in the state is associated with intense wind currentsto a humidity corridor coming from the Amazonincreasing the strength of the rain, and at a atmospheric lockdue to heat waves.
