Storms bringing heavy rain and strong winds swept across Porto Alegre and surrounding areas, leaving a trail of damage and disruption. Officials reported one fatality, power outages affecting about 1.1 million people, and impact across 49 cities after a weather system moved through the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul since Tuesday night. The Civil Defense update from the state, which sits near the borders of Argentina and Uruguay, confirmed that more than 13,000 residents were affected by floods and landslides. In addition, 12 people were injured and over 100 residents lost their homes as a result of the storms.
The violence of the storm brought trees down, flooded streets, and toppled a supermarket awning in the Porto Alegre metropolitan area, an urban region with a population just over four million. The city’s central districts saw neighbours left waiting at their doorsteps for intervention crews that were constrained by the scope of damage and limited resources. One resident, 58-year-old Carlos Cavalheiro, described the scene to reporters, noting the fallen tree that had blocked access to his home and lamenting that civil defense teams, though present, had only a few machetes with which to begin clearing the debris.
In several neighborhoods, the power supply was already under strain. The regional utility operator, CEEE Grupo Equatorial Energia, reported wind gusts reaching up to 90 kilometers per hour and numerous lightning strikes that damaged electrical networks and caused outages for a portion of customers. The company urged residents to stay away from downed cables and stated that crews were working to restore electricity “as quickly as possible,” while avoiding any firm projections for restoration times.
Water access also faced disruption. According to Porto Alegre’s mayor, Sebastião Melo, five of the city’s six water treatment plants were without power since Tuesday night, affecting approximately 1.2 million residents. He asked people to remain home when feasible to help responders carry out essential relief operations with greater speed and agility.
The El Niño climate pattern, which has influenced Brazil’s weather in recent months, continued to shape conditions by increasing rainfall in the south while contributing to drought in northern regions. Local authorities recalled that last September an extratropical hurricane impacted Rio Grande do Sul, resulting in dozens of fatalities and forcing thousands to evacuate their homes. As the current system evolves, emergency managers emphasize the importance of preparedness, rapid response, and clear communication to mitigate the risk of further hazards such as flash floods and more downed trees.