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Brazil floods: Hundreds of Rio Grande do Sul towns under water
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# Brazil floods: Hundreds of Rio Grande do Sul towns under water
7 May 2024
By Vanessa Buschschlüter, BBC News
Watch: Images show devastating impact of Brazil floods
** **Heavy rains which caused widespread flooding in the southern
Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul have left hundreds of towns under
water.****
At least 85 people died in the floods and about 150,000 have been
displaced from their homes, officials said.
Some towns remain isolated and hopes of finding the more than 130
people who are still missing are dwindling.
Further heavy rains forecast for this week are expected to further
exacerbate the situation in the region.
Many residents had to leave their homes, with some of the most
vulnerable people evacuated by rescue workers.
Reuters
Rescue workers have been evacuating the most vulnerable people
EPA
Residents took their pets with them as they left the flooded areas
The Brazilian Airlines Association said on Tuesday that the airport in
Porto Alegre would remain closed until at least the end of the month
after the Guaíba river burst its banks and flooded the runway and key
buildings.
Reuters
With runways under water, getting aid to affected areas has been hard
The river reached a record high level of 5.3m (17.4ft), local
officials said. The previous record was reached in 1941 and stood at
4.76m.
EPA
Flights have been suspended for weeks to come
The airport is not the only large building which had to close in Porto
Alegre, a city which is home to some 1.5 million people.
The pitch of the Arena do Gremio stadium is also covered in brown
sludge.
EPA
An aerial shot of the Arena do Gremio stadium shows the extent of the
damage in Porto Alegre
EPA
The city's public market was also surrounded by water
The situation in some of the areas surrounding the city of Porto
Alegre is even worse. Canoas is one of those badly hit.
Reuters
Canoas, on the outskirts of Porto Alegre, remains flooded
The extreme weather has been caused by a rare combination of hotter
than average temperatures, high humidity and strong winds.
Climate expert Francisco Eliseu Aquino told AFP news agency that Rio
Grande do Sul had always been a meeting point between tropical and
polar air masses but said that "these interactions intensified with
climate change".
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