Rio Grande do Sul: Heavy rain and floods has killed more than 29 in Brazil’s southern Rio Grande do Sul state. 60 people are still missing.
The civil defence agency have declared a state of emergency. Storm damage has affected nearly 150 municipalities in the state, also injuring at least a dozen people and displacing close to 10,000. Central authorities has already made available 12 aircraft, 45 vehicles and 12 boats as well as 626 soldiers to help clear roads, distribute food, water and mattresses, and set up shelters.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva travelled to the state on Thursday to meet with local authorities and express his solidarity.
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The downpour started Monday and was expected to last through Friday. In some areas, such as valleys, mountain slopes and cities, more than 150 millimetres of rain fell in 24 hours.
Weather across South America is affected by the climate phenomenon El Niño, a periodic naturally occurring event that warms surface waters in the Equatorial Pacific region. In Brazil, El Niño has historically caused droughts in the north and intense rainfall in the south.
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