ENCANADO, Brazil – Torrential rains of nearly half a foot in 24 hours in southern Brazil led to flooding that killed at least ten people.
Part of Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state was hit by persistent rain starting Monday, and Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet) is forecasting more rain through Thursday.
Almost 15 centimeters of rain fell between Monday and Tuesday–affected areas, according to Inmet. On Wednesday, the city of Santa Maria in Rio Grande do Sul received 8 inches.
Another 7 inches is possible through Thursday as an extensive low pressure area moves toward the states of Santa Catarina and Paraná.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, the region could see between 6 and 12 inches over the next five days.
On Thursday, officials from Rio Grande do Sul’s Civil Defense Department warned that there is a risk of the Blang Dam on the Caí River bursting. Officials said residents in the Blang Dam flood zone should move to higher ground and find a safe place to shelter, including the cities of São Francisco de Paula, Canela, Gramado, N. Petrópolis, Vale Real and Feliz.
Several rivers are at flood stage and residents are being asked to evacuate the waterways. Flooding is expected to continue until the end of the week.
This system will bring potentially severe thunderstorms, including strong winds of up to 80 km/h and rain of more than 20 cm between Rio Grande do Sul and south of Santa Catarina.
The following images from NOAA’s GOES East Advanced Baseline Imager satellite and Lightning Mapper instruments show the onslaught of rain and storms over southern Brazil early Thursday.
Governor of Rio Grande do Sul. Eduardo Leite said the number of deaths was expected to rise and encouraged residents to leave the country and seek safer places as first responders had difficulty reaching people in need of rescue.
Leite suspended classes across the state on Thursday and declared a state of emergency because of the flooding.
“The current event will be the largest climate disaster our state has ever faced. Unfortunately, it will be bigger than last year,” Leite said on X. “We are living in a very critical moment in the state. I deeply regret the 10 deaths so far.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrived in the city of Santa Maria on Thursday to survey the response to the floods.
In November, a similar flood occurred in southern Brazil after a week of severe thunderstorms and torrential rain, killing eight people and displacing thousands.
Some information in this story was retrieved using Google Translate.
Original source of the article: Ten people have died in floods in Brazil as the governor warns of the ‘biggest climate disaster’