People in southern Brazil, already reeling from deadly floods, are bracing for more disruption after heavy rainstorms pummeled the area on Friday and meteorologists warned of more to come throughout the weekend.
The death toll in the floods that have ravaged parts of the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul has inched up to 113, the state’s civil defense agency said, as relentless downpours sweep the region and spread to parts of neighboring Uruguay.
Officials are urging those who have been rescued from the floods not to return to their homes. Intense rain is expected to continue in parts of the state’s center and east until Sunday, with some areas expecting 150 mm over that time, the national meteorology institute INMET said. North of the state capital, Porto Alegre, 100 millimeters of rain is expected to fall in 24 hours.
“It is important to highlight that the predicted volumes of rain may cause new disruptions in areas already affected previously,” a statement from INMET read. The storms have affected more than 1.9 million people in Brazil, and displaced hundreds of thousands, many of whom are staying in temporary shelters. Over 140 people are still missing.
Heavy rain causes flooding in southern Brazil and Uruguay
More than a week of rain and floods have affected nearly 2 million people in Brazil’s southernmost state — Rio Grande Do Sul — where more than 100 people have been killed. Uruguay is also experiencing heavy rainfall. Scenes of the devastating weather event have been beamed all over the world, including video footage of a horse that had to be rescued after being stranded for several days on a rooftop.
The animal was rescued on Thursday by members of Sao Paulo’s military. According to state run Agencia Brasil, the horse – which has been baptized on social media as Caramelo – was sedated prior to being placed on a boat as part of the rescue. It had been stuck on the roof for four days surrounded by flood water in the municipality of Canoas in the Brazilian state Rio Grande do Sul.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva posted a video on X of the moment he learned of the horse’s rescue. Agencia Brasil, the sate-run news agency, has reported the rescue of more than 2,000 animals since the floods impacted Rio Grande du Sol, including dogs, cats, chickens, and pigs. Uruguay has also been flooded by the storms. More than 1,300 people there have been displaced there, while thousands more are without electricity, the national emergency system said on Wednesday night, without specifying if there were casualties.
There are growing concerns that gangs may take advantage of the abandoned homes and businesses. At least 47 people have been arrested for crimes related to the catastrophic floods, 41 of whom are suspected of looting establishments. Six were allged to have committed sexual abuse in shelters, Agencia Brasil reported.
The record rainfall has been linked to El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon that warms waters in the Pacific and tends to bring heavy rainfall to southern Brazil. Long-term global warming, caused primarily by humans burning fossil fuels, has also exacerbated extreme weather in the region.
Rio Grande do Sul — Brazil’s southernmost state, and until recently a tranquil agricultural region — has seen repeatedly extreme weather events in recent years.
According to the state government, 19 billion Brazilians reals ($3.7 billion US dollars) will be needed for rebuilding. Recent satellite mages from the state show entire neighborhoods of roads turned to rivers, a football pitch in a cavernous stadium submerged and an airport runway under water.
