Rain intensifies in flood-hit southern Brazil – DW – 05/13/2024

Tragedy experienced in the South BrazilWith 144 people already dead and 125 missing due to two weeks of heavy rain in the region, this Sunday’s storm (05/12/05/12) could worsen in the coming hours due to flooding of rivers. 2024)

The weather has made rescue efforts difficult and focused on providing humanitarian assistance to 620,000 displaced people, 82,200 of whom are in temporary shelters.

A total of 2.1 million people are affected by lack of housing, food, water, energy and medical services.

The regional government announced that Latin America’s largest warship had arrived at the port of the Rio Grande city on Saturday for humanitarian aid operations, including two water treatment plants capable of producing a total of 20,000 liters per hour.

It has an intensive care unit, a thermal bath, an operating room, a dental office and a full pharmacy.

Vice Admiral Fonseca Jr. said the ship was sent as part of the Brazilian Navy’s biggest effort to help the population of Rio Grande do Sul state, which is the size of Italy and has nearly 90% of its cities affected. flooding, Agência Brasil news agency reported.

In the neighboring state of Santa Catarina, less affected by the disaster, one death was reported, but figures could change in the next few hours due to the storm, which has not left since dawn in six municipalities bordering Rio. Grande do Sul.

A flood warning has been issued for the river

Alerts issued this Sunday by the National Disaster Monitoring and Warning Center (Semadan) remain active, particularly in one of the most affected areas, the Daquari Valley, and the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, whose central historic remains have been flooded. It could get worse if the Guapa River crests five meters again.

According to the system, Guaiba will receive all the water moving through the basins of the Jagui, Daquari-Antas, Gai, Chinos and Gravatai rivers between Sunday and Monday, all of which will be swollen.

Warnings also continue to be reinforced for the municipality of Uruguay, bordering Argentina, where the waters of the Uruguay River continue to rise beyond critical levels.

In neighboring Uruguay, the storms were already being felt in the city of Concordia, where authorities had to evacuate nearly 600 people, including more than 2,400 self-evacuees, officials said.

jc (efe, afp, dpa)