New storms return to flooded towns in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state

Heavy rains and cyclonic winds that hit the region this weekend again caused severe damage and flooded several towns in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, in the far south of the country, which faced the worst floods in its history in May, from to at least 173 confirmed deaths, dozens of missing people and thousands of displaced people. There is no news of new casualties, but some cities received more than 200 millimeters of rain from Saturday morning to Monday morning. monthly floods and rivers are extremely full.

In São Sebastian do Cai, one of the cities bordering the Cai River, the water level in the river rose by more than three meters early this Monday, June 17, flooding the surrounding neighborhoods. At least 400 people were left homeless and forced into temporary shelters, joining another 150 people displaced by floods in May whose homes were completely destroyed and therefore have not yet been able to leave these temporary shelters.

In São Luis Gonzaga, a city in the northwestern region of Rio Grande do Sul that was one of the few to escape the May floods, very strong winds that lasted just over 15 seconds and were accompanied by heavy rain severely damaged the city . 35 thousand population. At least 1,200 properties have been completely or significantly covered by roofs, including two hospitals, businesses and the homes of many residents, and this Monday the local council was handing out large tarpaulins for these buildings to be temporarily covered until a new roof can be built and repair it. other damage.

At least 20 towns were hit hard by rain and cyclonic winds this weekend, according to Rio Grande do Sul’s Civil Protection. These were San Sebastian do Cai, Sao Luis Gonzaga, Arvorezinha, Bento Goncalves, Boqueirão do Leão, Canela, Capan da Canoa, Caxias do Sul, Coqueiro Baixo, Dom Pedro de Alcantara, Igrejinha , Mampituba, Makiné, Paresi Novo, Parobe, Roca. Salles, Rio Pardo, San Vendelino, Tres Coroas and Vale Real.

In Barra do Ouro, which belongs to the municipality of Maquina, two thousand people were stranded this Monday because the roads leading to the city were under water. Temporary bridges that were built by residents or the army to replace those destroyed by May floods have again been swept away by river currents in some towns in the state’s northern region, leaving thousands more unable to move. between neighboring cities and between blocks of the same city connected by bridges or pedestrian crossings.

The state capital of Porto Alegre, which has a population of almost 1.5 million and was one of the hardest hit by floods in May, had not been hit by new storms until this Monday. But the outlook for authorities and local residents this Monday was not at all encouraging, as the weather forecast said that more than 300 millimeters of rain would fall in the Takwari and Rio Cay valley areas by next Thursday, with all that water draining away. They are eventually sent to Lake Guaiba, which borders Porto Alegre, where 25,000 homeless people are still temporarily housed in shelters.