risks on the streets
The mayor of Pelotas, Paula Mascarenhas, broadcast live this Friday (14) to talk about the damage caused by the cyclone that hit the city on Thursday (13) and the measures taken by the City Hall to restore normalcy. She warned of the risks of energized wires and trees damaged by the strong wind, which reached almost 100 km/h, and asked the population to be careful and attentive when leaving home. She also said she is still evaluating the possibility of declaring an emergency.
“It is important to have the collaboration of the community, because the city still poses some risks as a result of what happened. So, for example, if you go to a square, please take care, look up, look at the branches that are loose due to the wind because our teams were not able to cover all the green areas, we are still in this process. There are also still loose and fallen energized cables on sidewalks and streets, CEEE-Equatorial is working, but we need people’s collaboration so that they stay alert and expose themselves to risks”, he highlighted. City Hall teams are traveling through the areas with the highest flow of people to assess the situation of electrical wires and cables and install warning signs to the population.
Solidarity with those affected
The mayor took advantage of the live to reinforce the municipality’s clothing collection campaigns, which are still in progress. She said that many families were affected by the cyclone and the cold that followed and that they needed help. “Many families were affected, the rain passed but the cold came and to face this we are launching a new campaign to ask for the solidarity of Pelotas people to collect warm clothes, shoes, blankets, mattresses, non-perishable food, pet food and building materials for assist the affected families”, he said.
Damage from the passage of the cyclone in Pelotas, RS – Photo: Disclosure
Damage from the passage of the cyclone in Pelotas, RS – Photo: Disclosure
Donations of clothing and food can be made at collection points throughout the city (see list below). To donate building materials, contact the City Hall at (53) 3225-0183.
Water supply
The mayor also informed that the water supply is gradually being normalized in the city, after CEEE Equatorial restored electricity in the Water Treatment Stations and reservoirs during the early hours of this Friday (14). Only reservoir R13 is still without electricity. ETA Quilombo and Arroio Pelotas also remain without electricity, which affects the supply of the regions served by ETA Sinnott (Areal, Dunas, Bom Jesus, Sanga Funda, Arco-Íris, Vasco Pires, Laranjal, Moradas 2, Liberdade, Arcobaleno and nearby).
aftermath operation
According to the mayor, the teams involved in the removal of trees, branches and objects knocked down by the cyclone are prioritizing the places where the electricity and water supply is impaired and then will act where the debris hinders the passage of people and traffic. Then go to the green areas. City Hall teams must maintain work groups throughout the weekend to reduce damage and block places that present risks to the population. The secretary of Environmental Quality, Eduardo Schaefer, estimates that all the recovery and pruning work, including the green areas, will take a few weeks to complete.
This Friday (14th) teams from the Secretariat for Urban Services and Infrastructure (SSUI) are working on avenues Bento Gonçalves, Duque de Caxias, Dom Joaquim, Fernando Osório, Ferreira Viana and Rua Marcílio Dias. The Transport and Traffic Secretariat (STT) is signaling the places where there are fallen wires or trees blocking the passage. The Secretariat for Rural Development (SDR) is assisting in the removal of trees on the roads in the interior. The Social Assistance Secretariat (SAS) is registering the affected families and distributing tarpaulins and food baskets. The Civil Defense is monitoring the situation and responding to incidents by calling 199.
collection points
- City Hall – Praça Coronel Pedro Osório, 101
- Municipal Department of Social Assistance – Rua Marechal Deodoro, 404
- Municipal Department of Education and Sports – Rua Lobo da Costa, 502
- Municipal Health Department – Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 3395
- Municipal Secretariat of Culture – Praça Coronel Pedro Osório, 8
- Municipal Secretariat for Rural Development – Rua General Neto, 1119
- Municipal Department of Transport and Traffic – Avenida Duque de Caxias, 1580
- Municipal Secretariat for Environmental Quality – Rua Dona Mariana, 48
- Municipal Department of Urban Services and Infrastructure – Rua Conde de Porto Alegre, 1333
- Sanep – Avenida Domingos de Almeida, 1785
