The heavy rains that have hit Rio Grande do Sul since last Friday (26) continue to cause deaths, material damage and disruption to the population. With each new report that the state Civil Defense releases, the number of people affected by the consequences of climate events, such as floods, landslides, floods and floods, increases.
Between the first and second bulletins that the organization released this Friday (3), the number of confirmed deaths increased from 31 to 37 people. The number of people injured as a result of the effects of the rain jumped from 56 to 74 individuals.
The total number of people affected remained the same (351,639), as well as the number of cities (235) whose city halls reported losses and missing people (74), but the number of displaced people, that is, people forced to leave their homes and go to the home of relatives, friends or paid accommodation jumped from 17,087 in the bulletin released at 9 am, to 23,598 in the accounting closed at noon. At least 7,949 people who had nowhere to go or how to move are still housed in public shelters or assistance organizations. The next bulletin should be released later this afternoon.
High alert: Severe rains and closures cause chaos in Rio Grande do Sul
Due to the large volume of water and the rise in river levels, the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (Dnit) closed the two bridges over Lake Guaíba, in addition to the bridge over Rio dos Sinos, to vehicle traffic. Furthermore, the rains affected telecommunications services, leaving public agencies and residents of many cities without telephones and internet. Furthermore, a dam partially broke in Cotiporã, in Serra Gaúcha, and, until yesterday, 18 others were in a state of alert or attention.
“From today until Sunday [5], we will have very severe rain showers. We have already, in several cities, accumulated more than 400 millimeters [of rain] in the last 72 hours. The damage could be much greater than it currently appears. River levels will rise a lot and the risk of mass movement [of soil] and landslides is very high. Therefore, we are warning the population: take all necessary precautions. Don't go out onto the roads anymore, as they are collapsed. If you are in safe areas, stay. Mainly [the population] from the Planalto Alto Uruguai region, where the Uruguay River will rise, generating a flood above the overflow level”, warned Lieutenant Colonel Darci Bugs Júnior, from the state Civil Defense.
Source: agrolink
