Over a Month's Worth of Rain Falls in 24 Hours - 8 Dead, 19 Missing After the Catastrophic Storm
Authorities of the southern Brazil state of Rio Grande do Sul said Saturday that eight people died and 19 others were missing after a winter storm with torrential rain swept through the region.
Gov. Eduardo Leite said one of those killed was a 4-month-old baby who died before rescuers were able to get there. Fatalities were registered in seven cities.
“This first moment, since Thursday night until now, is especially to protect human lives, support and rescue people,” Leite said at a news conference Saturday with other authorities.
Two ministers from Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government traveled to the state to show support and arrange investments for Rio Grande do Sul and cities facing a critical situation.
The officials also will go to neighboring Santa Catarina state, which also was hit by the floods.
Firefighters performed 2,400 rescues across the 35 cities at Rio Grande do Sul that were hit by the storm.
Several roads were still blocked in Rio Grande do Sul, flights to the state’s main cities were canceled throughout Friday, and electricity was out across the state.
According to Leite, state agents are inspecting the damaged roads and bridges to see if any access can be re-established to the most affected areas.
Mayors of cities that were affected said twice as much rain fell in 24 hours than normally would be expected for the entire month of June.
The mayor of Maquine said on his social media channels that precipitation in his city surpassed 29.4 centimeters (about 11 1/2 inches) in one day.
Experts said the storm was an extratropical cyclone, a type of weather system that most often occurs in middle and high latitudes rather than in the tropics.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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