CNN — People in southern Brazil, already dealing with devastating floods, are bracing for further disruption as meteorologists predict 12 hours of heavy rain Friday and more throughout the weekend.
The death toll from the floods that have decimated sections of the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to 113, according to the state’s civil defence agency, as torrential rains wash the region and expand to neighbouring Uruguay.
Officials are encouraging people who have been rescued from the floodwaters not to return home.
Intense rain is anticipated to affect sections of the state’s centre and east from Friday to Sunday, with some locations receiving 150 mm over that period, according to the national meteorological institute INMET. Rainfall of 100 millimetres is anticipated in 24 hours north of the state capital, Porto Alegre.
“It is important to highlight that the predicted volumes of rain may cause new disruptions in areas already affected previously,” according to an INMET statement.
The storms have impacted over 1.9 million people in Brazil, displacing hundreds of thousands, many of whom are residing in temporary shelters. Over 140 individuals remain missing.
Scenes from the disastrous weather event have been broadcast throughout the world, including video footage of a horse that had to be rescued after being stuck on a rooftop for many days.
The animal was rescued on Thursday by Sao Paulo military personnel. According to state-run Agencia Brasil, the horse, known on social media as Caramelo, was drugged before being placed on a boat as part of the rescue effort.
It had been stranded on the roof for four days in the municipality of Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, surrounded by flood water.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva shared a video on X from the moment he learnt of the horse’s rescue. Agencia Brasil, the state-run news agency, reports that over 2,000 animals, including dogs, cats, chickens, and pigs, had been rescued since the floods hit Rio Grande do Sol.
Storms have also caused flooding in Uruguay. More than 1,300 people have been evacuated, and thousands more are without electricity, according to the national emergency system, which did not indicate if there were any deaths.
There are rising worries that gangs may take advantage of abandoned houses and businesses. At least 47 persons have been detained for offences linked to the disastrous floods, with 41 of them accused of looting enterprises. According to Agencia Brasil, six people were accused of sexually abusing others in shelters.
The record rainfall has been connected to El Niño, a natural climatic phenomena that heats Pacific seas and brings heavy rainfall to southern Brazil. Long-term global warming, mostly caused by human usage of fossil fuels, has intensified the region’s harsh weather conditions.
Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil’s southernmost state and once a calm agricultural region, has seen several catastrophic weather events in recent years.
According to the state administration, 19 billion Brazilian reals ($3.7 billion USD) will be required for restoration. Recent satellite images from the state reveal entire neighbourhoods with roads transformed into rivers, a football pitch in a huge stadium underwater, and an airport runway under water.
Source: Lianne Kolirin, Michael Rios, Vasco Cotovio and Abel Alvarado, CNN
