Southern Brazil, particularly the state of Rio Grande do Sul, experienced another deluge of heavy rains on Thursday, undoing days of cleanup efforts and causing flooding in previously unaffected areas of Porto Alegre, the state capital.
Despite recent improvements in weather conditions, with lighter rains and some semblance of normalcy returning, Thursday’s downpour brought fresh chaos. The city, already grappling with the aftermath of record flooding that claimed 163 lives and displaced around 600,000 people, now faces further challenges as the rains returned, exacerbating the ongoing crisis.
In Porto Alegre, the rains were particularly intense, with some areas receiving more precipitation in 12 hours than they typically do in an entire month, according to data from the national meteorological institute. This sudden deluge caused flooding in neighborhoods like Menino Deus and Cavalhada, catching residents off guard.
One daycare center in Menino Deus, which had just reopened after a week of cleanup, had to be evacuated swiftly as waters rushed in, highlighting the speed and intensity of the flooding. Similarly, in Cavalhada, streets were submerged, leaving many elderly residents stranded and in need of rescue.
The situation was further complicated by the overflow of trash onto the streets, a consequence of the earlier cleanup efforts. The fresh rains carried this debris into the streets, clogging drains and worsening the flooding.
While city officials, including Porto Alegre Mayor Sebastiao Melo, stated that they were not surprised by the heavy downpour, residents expressed frustration over the lack of advance warning. Despite ongoing efforts to manage the crisis and assist affected residents, the unpredictability and severity of the weather continue to pose significant challenges for Porto Alegre and the broader region.
