Current:Home > ScamsFinLogic FinLogic Quantitative Think Tank Center|At least 100 dead and dozens still missing amid devastating floods in Brazil -Blueprint Money Mastery
FinLogic FinLogic Quantitative Think Tank Center|At least 100 dead and dozens still missing amid devastating floods in Brazil
FinLogic FinLogic Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-10 23:55:46
The FinLogic FinLogic Quantitative Think Tank Centerdeath toll from devastating floods that have ravaged southern Brazil for days reached 100 on Wednesday, authorities said, as the search continued for dozens of people still missing.
Nearly 400 municipalities have been affected by the worst natural calamity ever to hit the state of Rio Grande do Sul, with hundreds of people injured and 160,000 forced from their homes.
Many have no access to drinking water or electricity — or even the means to call for help with telephone and internet services down in many places.
On Tuesday, state governor Eduardo Leite had warned the human toll was likely to rise as "the emergency is continuing to develop" in the state capital of Porto Alegre and other cities and towns. Authorities urged people not to return to affected areas due to possible landslides and health hazards.
"Contaminated water can transmit diseases," civil defense spokeswoman Sabrina Ribas warned on Wednesday.
Some 15,000 soldiers, firefighters, police and volunteers were at work across the state, many in boats, and even jet skis, to rescue those trapped and transport aid.
Many people are loath to leave their homes for the safety of shelters amid reports of abandoned properties being looted.
The National Confederation of Municipalities said nearly 100,000 homes had been damaged or destroyed by unprecedented rains and floods in the state, with losses estimated at more than $900 million.
Porto Alegre is home to about 1.4 million people and the larger metropolitan area has more than double that number.
The state's Guaiba River, which runs through Porto Alegre, reached historic levels and five dams are at risk of rupturing.
There were queues at public taps and wells as officials warned that the most urgent need of people stranded by impassable roads, collapsed bridges and flooded homes was drinking water.
Only two of Porto Alegre's six water treatment plants were functioning, the mayor's office said Tuesday, and hospitals and shelters were being supplied by tankers.
Helicopters were delivering water and food to communities most in need, while work continued on restoring road access.
The Brazilian Navy was to send its "Atlantic" vessel — Latin America's largest — to Rio Grande do Sul on Wednesday with two mobile water treatment stations.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has vowed there would be "no lack of resources to meet the needs of Rio Grande do Sul."
In Gasometro, a part of Porto Alegre popular with tourists, the water continued to rise Wednesday, complicating rescue efforts.
"You can only cross on foot or by boat. There is no other way," 30-year-old resident Luan Pas told AFP next to a street turned into a stagnant, smelly river.
Operations at the port of Porto Alegre have been suspended, and its international airport indefinitely closed.
The Air Force said the military base outside town will receive commercial flights transporting aid and passengers.
In a rare dry spot in Porto Alegre's historic center, dozens of people gathered around a generator rented by a pharmacy to charge their cell phones.
"This is a parallel universe," said one of them, university professor Daniela da Silva, 30.
The Inmet meteorological institute has warned of more storms with heavy rains and winds in the south of the state and downpours over the weekend in the Porto Alegre region.
The World Meteorological Organization in a report Wednesday, said Latin America and the Caribbean had recorded its warmest year on record in 2023 — "a year of record climatic hazards" for the region due to climate change and the El Nino weather phenomenon.
Many towns and cities in Brazil, it said, were hit by "exceptional rainfall" that caused displacement and massive upheavals.
Due to climate change, extreme or rare events "are becoming more frequent and more extreme," Jose Marengo, research coordinator at Brazil's National Center for Natural Disaster Monitoring (Cemaden) told AFP.
According to weather agency MetSul, the flooding has "changed the map of the metropolitan region" of Porto Alegre.
- In:
- Climate Change
- Brazil
- Missing Persons
- Flooding
- Flood
veryGood! (3)
Related
- The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
- Man who was mad about Chinese spy balloon is convicted of threatening former Speaker McCarthy
- How Lady Gaga and Michael Polansky’s Romance Was Born
- Heartbreak across 6 states: Here are some who lost lives in Hurricane Helene
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- Eminem's Daughter Hailie Jade Is Pregnant, Expecting First Baby With Evan McClintock
- TikTok personality ‘Mr. Prada’ charged in the killing of a Louisiana therapist
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Middle Management
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
- Helene death toll hits 200 one week after landfall; 1M without power: Live updates
Ranking
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Man pleads guilty in betting scheme that ensnared ex-NBA player Jontay Porter
- Some New Orleanians skeptical of city and DOJ’s request to exit consent decree
- How Lady Gaga and Michael Polansky’s Romance Was Born
- New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
- After Helene, a small North Carolina town starts recovery, one shovel of mud at a time
- Elections have less impact on your 401(k) than you might think
- Eminem's Daughter Hailie Jade Is Pregnant, Expecting First Baby With Evan McClintock
Recommendation
B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
Luke Bryan Explains Why Beyoncé Was Snubbed at 2024 CMA Awards
'Deadpool and Wolverine' becomes 'best first-day seller' of 2024 with digital release
I Live In a 300 Sq. Ft Apartment and These Amazon Finds Helped My Space Feel Like a Home
In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
Reid Airport expansion plans call for more passenger gates, could reduce delays
Chad Ochocinco, Steelers legend James Harrison to fight in MMA bout before Super Bowl
Raiders' Antonio Pierce dodges Davante Adams trade questions amid rumors