The capital of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, is currently the scene of an exodus of residents, fleeing the city which has remained almost completely without water or electricity. Over 70% of homes in the metropolis of 1.3 million inhabitants – flooded by the flooding of Lake Guaíba – no longer have access to essential services.
With the main highways blocked and the airport closed, the only possible direction to take – as also suggested by the mayor Sebastião Melo – is towards the coast, an area that has recorded less damage due to the wave of bad weather that has been punishing it for a week state where 40% of residents are descendants of Italians.
“We are also thinking of going to the seaside because we only have a small reserve of water left in the tank and normalization is not expected soon”, the Italian Antonio de Ruggiero, professor of contemporary history at the Pontifical University of Rio, tells ANSA Grande do Sul (Puc-Rs). “At least three or four families of residents of my condominium have already moved to the coast,” he added.
The increased traffic flow to the coastal region is causing congestion along secondary roads, as major federal highways and state roads are closed and the hinterland is impassable due to landslides.
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