In the southern region of Brazil, the state of Rio Grande do Sul is currently facing severe flooding after a recent rainstorm affected nearly 500 cities. Over 300 cities were impacted, resulting in the deaths of at least 78 people. The civil defense agency of the state announced on May 5 that two-thirds of the cities had experienced landslides and infrastructure damage due to the flooding.
The flooding caused widespread traffic congestion, power outages, and left over a million people without access to clean water. The hydroelectric dam near Bento Goncalves collapsed due to the storms and floods, leading to 30 fatalities. Several other hydroelectric dams in the region are also at risk of breaking due to rising floodwaters. Cities in the Taquari river valley, such as Lajeodo and Estrela, were heavily flooded.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva described this as one of the worst floods in Brazilian history, with unprecedented amounts of rain falling on the state. According to the Brazilian Meteorological Agency, this flood surpassed the “cataclysm” of 1941. In some cities, water levels reached their highest point in nearly 150 years. The disaster left 78 people dead, 101 missing, and over 115,000 evacuated.
Rescue efforts involved helicopters airlifting stranded families from rooftops and specialized teams using vehicles and jet skis to access landslides and flooded areas. In Porto Alegre,