PORTO ALEGRE: Teams raced against the clock today to deliver aid to flood-hit communities in southern Brazil before the arrival of new storms forecast to batter the region once again. About 400 municipalities have been hit by the worst natural calamity ever to affect the state of Rio Grande do Sul, with around 107 people perished and hundreds more wounded.
Over 164,000 people have been forced from their homes in the state capital Porto Alegre — a city of about 1.4 million people — and hundreds of other cities and towns, according to AFP.
Many in the region have no access to electricity or drinking water, or even the means to call for assistance, with telephone and internet services down. A total of 134 people were reported missing and about 1.7 million have suffered damage in flooding the government and experts have linked to climate change.
Rescuers in boats and on jet skis were traveling on streets turned into rivers, looking for people trapped in their homes or those reluctant to leave for fear of looting. In the town of Canoas, a horse was hauled from a rooftop by rescuers in inflatable boats, according to footages on local media.
ALSO READ: Saudi Leadership Offers Condolences to Brazilian President Over Flooding
The state’s Guaiba River, which runs through Porto Alegre, reached historic levels this week, and authorities have warned five dams were at risk of rupturing.
Sabrina Ribas, a spokeswoman for the civil defense force that handles disaster relief, told journalists that the focus is still on rescues but authorities are working very hard on delivering humanitarian assistance.
Challenges in Rescue Opration in Brazil’s Floods
She added that these efforts may be hindered in the coming days, given warnings of new downpours from Friday to Sunday. The disaster has damaged over 60,000 homes and devastated the economy of the largely agricultural state, which normally supplies more than two-thirds of the rice consumed in the country.
