Storms in RS leave a trail of destruction and bring the death toll to 57; At least 373,000 are without power and more than 180 sections of highways are blocked
Governor Eduardo Leite (PSDB) stated that data on the tragedy could undergo substantial changes in the coming days, as teams manage to reach remote areas and identify more victims.
Flood of the Gravataí River that continues to rise on the border between Cachoeirinha and Avenida Assis, in Porto Alegre (RS) - Photo Reproduction/Donaldo Hadlich /Código 19/Estadão
The storms that hit Rio Grande do Sul have already caused 57 deaths as of this Saturday (4), according to the latest bulletin released by Civil Defense. In addition to the fatal victims, there are 67 people missing and 74 injured. The number of homeless people reached 42,221, with 9,581 staying in shelters and 32,640 displaced people, who found refuge in the homes of family or friends. The situation affected 300 of the state's 496 municipalities, impacting 422.3 thousand people. Governor Eduardo Leite (PSDB) emphasizes that these numbers may undergo significant changes in the coming days, as teams are able to access remote areas and identify other victims.
Situation at the moment
The storms caused significant damage to road infrastructure of Rio Grande do Sul. According to the Federal Highway Police (PRF), 188 sections of highways are currently blocked due to adverse weather conditions. Of these, five belong to federal highways, while 28 are stretches of state highways that face partial closures. The remaining sections are completely closed. Furthermore, the environmental disaster resulted in power cuts in several cities.
This Saturday morning, Rio Grande Energia (RGE),responsible for supplying electricity in part of the state, reported that 296 thousand customers are without electricity. Most of these customers are located in flooded areas. The most affected regions include Vale do Taquari (92.1 thousand), the Metropolitan Region (88.4 thousand), Vale do Rio Pardo (43.8 thousand), Vale dos Sinos (34 thousand), Serra ( 12.4 thousand), the Plateau (11.7 thousand) and the Central Region (9.3 thousand). The State Electric Energy Company (CEEE) reported that 73 thousand consumers are without power within its area of operation. Guaíba, Porto Alegre and Alvorada are the most impacted municipalities.
Of the total without supply, 58 thousand are preventively disconnected due to flooded areas, following the guidelines of the Civil Defense, Fire Department and local city halls. In Porto Alegre, Guaíba exceeded its flood limit, causing overflow that affected streets and avenues, reaching more than 5 meters on Saturday morning. The city's bus station was completely flooded, as reported by operations manager, Jorge Rosa. All inbound and outbound transportation services have been canceled. Furthermore, Salgado Filho Airport was closed due to the high volume of rain.
This Saturday morning, during a press conference, the mayor of Porto Alegre, Sebastião Melo (MDB), urged the population to adopt water rationing measures, describing the situation as "almost a determination". Of the six water treatment plants in the region, four are out of operation. Intense rains resulted in flooding that left state prisons isolated, resulting in the need to transfer more than 1,000 inmates to other prison units.
State of Emergency and Rescues
The government decreed a state of calamity, a measure also recognized by the federal government. With this, the state is authorized to request financial support from the central government for civil defense actions, such as providing humanitarian assistance, rebuilding damaged infrastructure and restoring essential services. Civil Defense warned of the imminent risk of overflow in a large part of the state's river basins.
On the afternoon of this Friday (3), the federal government dispatched 100 members of the National Force to Rio Grande do Sul. This federal team will contribute to rescue and rescue of people affected by floods in the region. Among the 100 sent, 60 are firefighters, whose mission is to help deal with the consequences of the disaster caused by the storms in the state.
In addition, 25 trucks, two buses, a truck and three rescue boats are being sent to the region. 36 federal police officers are also actively involved in the work. The Federal Highway Police (PRF) mobilized 75 agents to participate in rescue and rescue operations, including seven rescue specialists.
Weather Forecast
Climate experts say that the strong storms that hit Rio Grande do Sul are the result of at least three local phenomena, which are exacerbated by ongoing climate change. Over the next 24 hours, more precipitation is expected. The tragedy that has befallen the state is linked to vigorous wind currents, the influence of a humidity corridor coming from the Amazon, which intensifies the intensity of rain, and an atmospheric blockage caused by heat waves. This condition is expected to persist until next Saturday, with accumulations that could reach up to 400 millimeters. This volume will add to the more than 300 millimeters of rain recorded in the last four days.
