People in southern Brazil, already suffering from death floods, are bracing for more disruption as forecasters warned of 12 straight hours of heavy rain on Friday and more over the weekend.
The death toll from the floods that have devastated parts of the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to 113, the state’s civil defense agency said, as relentless rains swept the region and spread to parts of neighboring Uruguay.
Authorities are asking people who were rescued from the floods not to return to their homes.
Heavy rain is expected to hit parts of central and eastern parts of the state from Friday to Sunday, with some areas expecting 150mm during that period, national meteorology institute INMET said. North of the state capital, Porto Alegre, the forecast is for 100 millimeters of rain to fall in 24 hours.
“It is important to highlight that the predicted volumes of rain could cause new disruptions in areas already affected previously”, says a statement from INMET.
The storms affected more than 1.9 million people in Brazil and displaced hundreds of thousands, many of whom remain in temporary shelters. More than 140 people are still missing.
Scenes of the devastating weather event were broadcast around the world, including video footage of a horse that had to be rescued after being trapped for several days on a roof.
The animal was rescued on Thursday by military personnel from São Paulo. According to Agência Brasil, the horse – which was named Caramelo on social media – was sedated before being placed on a boat as part of the rescue.
He was trapped on the roof for four days surrounded by floods in the municipality of Canoas, in Rio Grande do Sul.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva posted a video on X of the moment I found out about the horse’s rescue. Agência Brasil, a state news agency, reported the rescue of more than 2,000 animals since floods hit the Rio Grande du Sol, including dogs, cats, chickens and pigs.
Uruguay was also flooded by the storms. More than 1,300 people have been displaced, while thousands more are without electricity, the national emergency system reported late on Wednesday, without specifying whether there were any casualties.
There are growing concerns that gangs could take advantage of abandoned homes and businesses. At least 47 people were arrested for crimes related to the catastrophic floods, 41 of whom are suspected of looting establishments. Six were accused of having committed sexual abuse in shelters, Agência Brasil reported.
The rainfall record is associated with El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon that warms the waters of the Pacific and tends to bring heavy rains 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 quiet agricultural region – has repeatedly seen extreme weather events in recent years.
According to the state government, 19 billion reais (US$3.7 billion) will be needed for reconstruction. Recent satellite images of the state show entire neighborhoods of roads turned into rivers, a submerged football field in a cavernous stadium and a submerged airport runway.
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