The extratropical cyclone that hit Rio Grande do Sul on June 15 left a trail of destruction in several cities in the state. This Thursday (29), the Ministry of Integration and Regional Development (MIDR) recognized the emergency situation in another 13 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul affected by the climate phenomenon. With this, city halls will be able to request federal resources for relief, assistance and reconstruction actions.
The cities that obtained federal recognition are: Araricá, Cachoeirinha, Campo Bom, Dois Irmãos, Ivoti, Morrinhos do Sul, Morro Reuter, Nova Petrópolis, Santo Antônio da Patrulha, São José do Hortêncio, São José do Sul, Taquara and Tupandi. They join 11 other cities that had already received the same status on June 23. In all, 24 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul are in an emergency situation because of the cyclone.
The extratropical cyclone is a system of low atmospheric pressure that causes strong winds and heavy rains. In Rio Grande do Sul, the phenomenon caused damage to homes, commercial establishments, roads and power grids. Some cities even recorded wind gusts in excess of 100 km/h.
Other states also suffer from natural disasters.
In addition to Rio Grande do Sul, four other Brazilian states had cities with an emergency situation recognized by the MIDR this Thursday. In Bahia, the municipality of Entre Rios suffered from heavy rains that flooded streets and houses. In Ceará and Pernambuco, the cities of Salitre and Exu face the drought, which is the lack of rain for a short period. In Minas Gerais, the city of Pedras de Maria da Cruz is in an emergency situation because of drought, which is the prolonged shortage of water.
According to the MIDR, there are currently 1,423 cities with federal recognition of an emergency situation or state of public calamity across the country. These municipalities may request federal funds to assist the population affected by natural disasters.
How to apply for federal funds for civil defense actions
To request federal funds for civil defense actions, cities must have an emergency situation or state of public calamity recognized by the MIDR. They must then submit a detailed work plan via the Integrated Disaster Information System (S2iD)which is an online platform that allows the registration and monitoring of requests.
The National Civil Defense technical team analyzes the information sent and verifies that the targets and values requested are appropriate to the situation. After approval, an ordinance is published in the Official Gazette (DOU) with the amount to be released.
MIDR also offers free distance learning courses to train and qualify municipal and state civil protection and defense agents in the use of S2iD. The courses address topics such as disaster registration, resource request and analysis, and accountability. The complete list of courses is available at this link.