‘Over 100 people have died and nearly 100,000 homes have been damaged from more than a week of record rainfall and flooding in south Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state’, informed the local authorities.
In an update on Wednesday the National Confederation of Municipalities said that overflowing rivers and floods in the state have affected around 1.45 million people and forced some 200,000 residents to flee their homes, according to the media reports.
As per the confederation, based on data from the Civil Defense agency, 99,800 residences of all types have sustained either total or partial damage since the state’s worst weather-related disaster hit on April 29.
ALSO READ: “Southern Brazil Flooding: Death Toll Hits 78, Numerous Still Missing”
At least 414 of 497 towns in the state, a top agricultural and livestock producer that borders Argentina and Uruguay, have suffered from the storms and declared emergencies.
The confederation estimates the economic losses at 4.6 billion reals (about $904 million), taking into account the damage to housing and public infrastructure, as well as agriculture, livestock, industry, commerce and services.
In just one week, Rio Grande do Sul saw five months’ worth of rain, sparking unprecedented flooding. Power outages have left over 400,000 people in the dark, while nearly a third of the population faces water shortages. In Porto Alegre, the Guaiba lake overflowed, reaching historic levels, inundating surrounding areas and prompting the suspension of all flights at the city’s international airport.
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