Heavy rains in southern Brazil have led to river levels rising in the south of the country, raising fears of more damage in a region where unprecedented floods have caused massive destruction and killed more than 140 people.
The heavy rains that the state of Rio Grande do Sul witnessed at the beginning of the month caused rivers to flood, affecting more than two million people and leaving 143 dead and 806 injured, according to a toll announced by the Civil Defense yesterday, Sunday.
About 130 people are still missing, while more than 538,000 were forced to leave their homes due to the disaster that United Nations experts and the Brazilian government link to climate change and the El Niño phenomenon.
More than 81,000 people took refuge in shelters opened by the authorities, after about 92,000 homes were damaged or destroyed by the floods.
In its latest bulletin, the Civil Defense said that the levels of “almost all major rivers in the state tend to rise.”
The water level in Guayba Flat, located on the border of the state capital, Porto Alegre, reached its lowest level on Saturday since May 3 (4.57 metres).
But with the rainfall in the area since Friday, its level has risen again and is expected to exceed five meters “due to the flow of tributaries and the movement of the wind,” according to the Civil Defense.
On May 5 and 6, Guayba reached a record level of 5.3 metres, far exceeding the historical peak of 4.76 meters recorded during the floods of 1941. The first floods occur when the level reaches three metres.
Also, other rivers in the area are experiencing higher water levels than in recent days and continue to flood.
The overflowing Takoari River has prompted a state of alert in the small town of Mokum, which has barely recovered from a devastating cyclone last September.
Paula Mascarenhas, the mayor of Pelotas, south of Porto Alegre, warned on Instagram that the town is “facing a worsening situation,” which “increases the possibility of floods,” calling for the evacuation of areas at risk.
Relief operations continue in Porto Alegre, including the distribution of food aid, water, medicine and clothing.
The National Institute of Meteorology expects "heavy rain" to continue during the coming hours, at a rate exceeding 100 mm per day in some areas.
He said the state's northeast faces "a high risk of major floods and river overflows, as well as major landslides."
The probability of more floods is “very high” in most areas of the state, according to estimates by the National Center for Natural Disaster Monitoring and Warning (Simaden).
For his part, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed in a video clip his "solidarity" with the victims, saying, "You are not alone."
The Brazilian government promised Thursday to allocate an amount of approximately nine billion euros for the reconstruction of this important agricultural state in the south of the country, which is witnessing the worst natural disaster in its history.