In the southern region of Rio Grande do Sul state in Brazil, significant inundations have resulted in the loss of a minimum of 75 lives over the previous seven days, with an additional 103 individuals recorded as absent, as disclosed by local authorities on Sunday.
A tally of 155 persons sustained injuries, and the precipitation-induced destruction compelled over 88,000 residents to evacuate their residences. Approximately 16,000 sought shelter in educational institutions, sports arenas, and other makeshift havens. The deluge left behind a trail of ruin, including landslides, submerged thoroughfares, and crumbled spans throughout the region. Service providers reported interruptions in electricity and communication networks.
As per the civil defense agency, more than 800,000 individuals are currently deprived of access to potable water, citing statistics from the water utility company Corsan. A rescue squad evacuated an elderly gentleman, critically ill, via helicopter from a remote locality in the municipality of Bento Gonalves, as depicted in footage from military firefighters. Torrents of murky water cascaded over an adjacent dam.
On Saturday evening, denizens in Canoas found themselves wading through muddy waters up to their shoulders, forming a human chain to ferry individuals to safety aboard boats, as evidenced in video clips shared by the local UOL news outlet. At 8 am local time on Sunday morning, the Guaiba River crested at an unprecedented 5.33 meters (17.5 feet), eclipsing levels observed during a historic deluge in 1941 when the river reached 4.76 meters.
“Allow me to reiterate and emphasize: the devastation we are presently enduring is unparalleled,” declared Governor Eduardo Leite on Sunday morning. He had previously articulated that the state would necessitate a reconstruction effort akin to a ‘Marshall Plan.’ President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva of Brazil made a second visit to Rio Grande do Sul on Sunday, accompanied by Defense Minister Jos Mcio, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, and Environment Minister Marina Silva, among others. The leftist leader and his entourage surveyed the inundated streets of Porto Alegre from an aerial vantage point.
“We must desist from merely reacting to catastrophes. We must instead anticipate potential calamities and take proactive measures,” Lula asserted to reporters thereafter. During Sunday’s mass at the Vatican, Pope Francis extended his prayers to the populace of the afflicted state. “May the departed be received by the Lord and may solace be granted to their kin and those compelled to abandon their abodes,” he conveyed.
The downpour commenced on Monday and was anticipated to persist until Sunday. In certain locales, such as valleys, mountain inclines, and urban centers, upwards of 300 millimeters (11.8 inches) of precipitation fell within a week, as per Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology, abbreviated as INMET, on Thursday.
These copious rains mark the fourth environmental catastrophe within the state over the past year, following inundations in July, September, and November 2023, which claimed 75 lives. Weather patterns across South America are influenced by the climatic phenomenon known as El Nio, a cyclic natural occurrence that elevates temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific region. In Brazil, El Nio typically precipitates droughts in the north and torrential rainfall in the south.
The ramifications of El Nio have been notably severe this year, manifested by an unprecedented drought in the Amazon. Scholars affirm that instances of extreme weather are becoming more frequent due to anthropogenic climate change. “These tragedies will persist and intensify, occurring with greater frequency,” remarked Suely Arajo, a public policy coordinator at the Climate Observatory, a coalition of numerous environmental and societal organizations.
Arajo underscored the imperative for Brazil to adapt to the repercussions of climate change, as stated in a declaration issued on Friday.