The situation is increasingly serious in Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil hit by an exceptional flood, considered historic by meteorologists. Temperatures remain high, humidity increases, clouds thicken, dumping avalanches of water onto the ground. Strong winds contribute. The fault lies with El Niño which continues to act in much of South America, also affecting the USA where Texas was in turn hit by a real cascade of rain with water reaching 2 meters in height .
The budget
The deaths in southern Brazil have risen to 66, but there are also 101 missing people who are struggling to find rescuers. The toll is heavy: 497 cities affected, 155 injured, 707,190 people hit by the flood, almost 100 thousand left homeless, 421 thousand houses without electricity, 839 thousand without drinking water. Many roads were closed completely or partially due to the collapse of bridges or due to landslides that invaded the road.
Then there is apprehension about the dams. They guarantee the distribution of electricity. One, two days ago, collapsed, spilling more water downstream and submerging villages and agricultural centers. People were left in the dark. We proceed with spears to reach isolated areas. The operations are not simple, because it continues to rain even in the Grande Porto Allegre, the vast belt outside the state capital. The Gaíba river burst its banks, flooding the streets and submerging some neighborhoods. The airport has been closed for an “indefinite period”.
In Canoas, in the metropolitan region, the population took to the streets and began to form a human chain with water reaching up to their shoulders to push the boats shuttling with people rescued from the flooded areas.
A Marshall Plan
Nobody has any illusions about the future. On Saturday evening, governor Eduardo Leite declared that to revive the fortunes of his state it will be necessary to launch a sort of “Marshall Plan”. He welcomed the aid immediately provided by the central government but clarified that it will only be needed after the rain has stopped falling. They will have to help and identify the bodies collected under the mud and debris and rebuild the hospitalization centers that are unusable. The priority, he said in a TV speech, is to save as many lives as possible. “Everything that can be used is used,” he added. “More people will come to help. There were no delays. Such a massive mobilization takes time.”
President Lula himself confirmed the arrival of other rescue teams and vehicles to clear the streets. The race, as always in these cases, is against time. Today he will return to the site of the tragedy as he did on Friday to closely monitor the crisis and verify that the rescue machine is working.
