In addition to the approximately 80,000 people evacuated from their homes, more than a million homes are without water and the scale of the destruction is currently incalculable, according to Brazilian Civil Defense.
Residential areas drowned as far as the eye can see, bridges destroyed, towns swept away by water, communications disrupted, these are the results of the vast floods affecting part of southern Brazil. More than half of the state of Rio Grande do Sul has been ravaged by torrential rains in recent days. In Porto Alegre, the streets of the historic center of the city were invaded by water. The cause: the exceptional flooding of the Guaiba River. According to the authorities, its level could soon reach the record of 5 meters.
According to the municipality, the Guaiba River which crosses the city has reached the record level of 5.09 meters, well beyond the historic peak of 4.76 m recorded during the floods of 1941. The water continues to advance in the metropolis and a hundred other localities, with ever more dramatic consequences. At least 66 people have died and 101 are missing, according to the latest report from Brazilian civil defense on Sunday.
Friday May 3, President Lula reaffirmed the government’s support. The authorities now fear the failure of four dams in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.