my name a non-tropical hurricane off the south coast Brazil caused massive flooding and at least 37 deaths since last weekend 9 more missingAs reported by state officials this Wednesday.
The government of Rio Grande do Sul, the region hardest hit with 36 deaths, has declared a state of disaster to deal with the “greatest natural tragedy” in the state’s history, according to governor Eduardo Leite. The head of state, along with other ministers of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government, held a press conference, warning that “unfortunately, more deaths could be confirmed in the next few hours”.
While numbers on the hurricane’s impact continue to rise, the state government reported: 5,894 people were evacuated Among the total of 52,000 people living in the 79 affected municipalities.
Field footage showing the Taquari River flooding shows how the brown waters rise several meters and touch the treetops and roofs of houses. Some citizens living in the flooded districts desperately climbed onto the roofs of the houses waiting to be rescued by helicopter.
Leite denied that authorities were slow to respond to the hurricane, and reported that 17 SMS alerts were sent to residents of the affected towns. many did not want to leave their homes Not being able to predict the magnitude of the disaster.
Waldez Góes, both the governor and Minister of Integration and Regional Development, reassured that the mathematical models behind the weather forecasts were failing, saying: Rainfall expected to be lower what happened after all? “This rate was higher than the models showed; they pointed out about 150 millimeters and 300 millimeters of rain fell in many areas,” Leite said. Although the level in the rivers has started to drop, the governor warned that more precipitation is expected in the coming days and that “new events may occur”.
Alongside the 36 deaths in Rio Grande do Sul, there was one death from a tree fall on Monday in the neighboring state of Santa Catarina. In June, Rio Grande do Sul was already hit by a hurricane that killed 16 people, which up to then was the worst of its kind in the state’s history.