The Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul confirmed today (21) the fifth death as a result of the heavy rains that hit the state. The victim is a resident of Eldorado do Sul, in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre.
According to Civil Defense, the 67-year-old woman, whose name was not released, was inside her house, flooded by the rains of the last few days. Relatives found her unconscious and called for help, but the victim did not survive.
“Unfortunately, we have confirmed another death due to the rain in the state. A 67-year-old woman was found dead inside a flooded house in Eldorado do Sul. My condolences to the family”, lamented Governor Eduardo Leite on his profile on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
Due to the weather events of the last few days, the city of Eldorado do Sul suspended classes at 11 municipal schools this Tuesday and suspended services for an indefinite period in at least five health units, including the 24-hour Central Emergency Room. and the Municipal Pharmacy – inside which the accumulated water reached approximately one meter in height, ruining medicines and equipment.
Responsible for assisting families affected by floods in the city, the municipality’s Civil Defense is requesting help from other cities to donate tiles, mattresses, non-perishable food, bedding, cleaning and hygiene products. All the material collected will be distributed among the people that the city hall welcomed in the improvised shelter in a sports center in the city.
Evicted
According to the state Civil Defense, the number of people affected by intermittent rains continues to grow across the state. A preliminary survey that the agency’s press office released this morning indicates that the number of homeless people sheltered in public shelters or welfare institutions increased from 2,653 to 3,351 due to the information that the city halls of the affected municipalities passed on in the last few hours.
Furthermore, at least 24,976 people are homeless and have had to seek temporary shelter in the homes of relatives or friends or in inns and hotels. The number is more than three times higher than the 7,527 homeless reported in a previous bulletin from the state Civil Defense. According to the agency, Arroio do Meio city hall alone added 7 thousand people to the list.
According to the mayor of Arroio do Meio, Danilo Bruxel, around half of the city’s homes are without electricity and part of the urban infrastructure was affected by rainwater or the overflow of the Taquari River. Civil Defense estimates that the river’s flood affected around 3,900 residents of the city, forcing 600 homeless people to take shelter in improvised facilities in four gyms in the region. Around 200 houses were completely destroyed or condemned by water forces.
Porto Alegre
The volume of water in the Guaíba River also continues to increase, causing concern for riverside families and residents of Porto Alegre, the state capital. According to the city hall, this morning the river level reached 3.46 meters near Cais Mauá, where the flood level is 3 meters deep.
Yesterday, the city hall had already started the process of closing the flood protection system floodgates. Today, Mayor Sebastião Melo announced that he will declare an emergency situation due to the floods. The measure, which will still be published in the Official Gazette of Porto Alegre (Dopa), aims to facilitate the process of contracting services and products necessary to remedy the impacts of the Guaíba River flood.
As of this morning, at least 920 people had already been removed from their homes. Of these, 134 had to be sheltered in two temporary shelters provided by the Social Assistance and Citizenship Foundation (Fasc). A third shelter is expected to open soon.
“All efforts are mobilized to expand reception and offer infrastructure for people. We are working hard to make the city function during this climate challenge that we are experiencing”, said Mayor Sebastião Melo in a statement.
