Heavy rains in the southern Brazilian state of Rio ♣️ Grande do Sul have caused devastating floods, leaving 37 people dead and 74 still missing. This is the fourth major ♣️ environmental disaster in the state in the past year, following floods in July, September, and November that killed a total ♣️ of 75 people.
Statewide flooding has surpassed that seen during a historic deluge in 1941, according ♣️ to the Brazilian Geological Service. In some cities, water levels are at their highest since records began nearly 150 years ♣️ ago.
On Thursday, a dam at a hydroelectric plant between the cities of Bento Goncalves and ♣️ Cotipora partially collapsed, causing entire cities in the Taquari River valley, such as Lajeado and Estrela, to be completely overtaken ♣️ by water. In the town of Feliz, a bridge connecting it with the neighboring city of Linha Nova was swept ♣️ away by a massively swollen river.
More than 23,000 people have had to leave their homes, and ♣️ operators have reported electricity, communications, and water cuts across the state. Weather specialist Marcelo Seluchi has stated that the downpour ♣️ started on Monday and is expected to last at least through Saturday.
Governor Eduardo ♣️ Leite has alerted the state's population about the persistence of rains and floods, expecting the situation to worsen in Porto ♣️ Alegre.
Weather across South America is affected by the climate phenomenon El Niño, causing droughts in the ♣️ north and intense rainfall in the south. This year, the impacts of El Niño have been particularly dramatic, with a ♣️ historic drought in the Amazon. Scientists say extreme weather is happening more frequently due to human-caused climate change.