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Severe floods have struck Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 75 lives over the past week, with 103 individuals still reported missing, according to local authorities' latest update on Sunday.
In addition, 155 people have been injured, and more than 88,000 residents have been forced from their homes due to the flooding. Around 16,000 people have sought refuge in schools, sports facilities, and other temporary shelters. The floods have caused extensive damage, including landslides, submerged roads, and collapsed bridges across the state. There have been disruptions in electricity and communication services, affecting over 800,000 people who are currently without access to clean water, as reported by the civil defense agency, citing data from the water company Corsan.
In a dramatic rescue operation, a team evacuated an elderly man in critical condition from a remote area in the Bento Gonçalves municipality by helicopter. The Guaiba river reached a record level of 5.33 meters (17.5 feet) on Sunday morning, surpassing levels seen during the historic 1941 deluge when the river reached 4.76 meters.
State Governor Eduardo Leite described the situation as "unprecedented devastation" and emphasized the need for a comprehensive reconstruction plan, comparing it to a "Marshall Plan." President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, accompanied by several ministers, visited the affected areas to assess the damage and response efforts.
Pope Francis offered prayers for the affected population during Sunday mass at the Vatican, expressing solidarity with the victims and their families. The heavy rains, which began on Monday and were expected to continue through Sunday, have resulted in more than 300 millimeters (11.8 inches) of rainfall in some areas.
The recent heavy rains mark the fourth environmental disaster in the state in a year, following floods in July, September, and November 2023 that also resulted in loss of life. The recurring extreme weather events are attributed to the effects of El Niño, a climate phenomenon that causes warming of surface waters in the Equatorial Pacific region, leading to droughts in the north and intense rainfall in the south of Brazil.
Suely Araújo, a public policy coordinator at the Climate Observatory, emphasized the need for Brazil to adapt to the effects of climate change, warning that such tragedies are likely to continue, becoming more severe and frequent, due to human-induced climate change.