Rescue efforts in flood-stricken southern Brazil were hampered on Wednesday (May 8) by renewed rain and the threat of lightning and strong winds. These weather conditions risk worsening calamity that has already claimed at least 100 lives and displaced over 163,000 people.

The floods that started last week, caused by unusually heavy rains, have destroyed highways and bridges in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Around 128 people are still missing, the state's civil defense authority said and urged people living close to the Patos lagoon to leave their homes immediately.

The army soldiers were seen using the amphibious armored cars to rescue people from flooding in Canoas, where the waters have reached a depth of some three meters (10 ft) and the streets can only be navigated by boat.

"I have been living in this tractor with my children, to survive this calamity. We believe it will pass," an exhausted Farias told Reuters. He said he had slept little and eaten less.

<h2>RISK OF MORE FLOODS</h2>

Brazil's disaster center placed the southern region of Rio Grande do Sul under high risk as heavy rain is expected to resume imminently. Weather forecaster MetSul warns of very large floods of serious proportions for the area.

In neighboring Uruguay, storms and flooding have closed highways and left nearly 800 people displaced and over 3,000 people without power, the government said.

In Brazil, many residents in and around Porto Alegre, a city of 1.3 million people, have been living in darkness after power companies cut off electricity for security reasons.

The residents have faced shortages of products, especially drinking water. Supermarket managers said there was no access for supply trucks or employees trying to get to work. Mineral water sales were restricted in some supermarkets.

Meanwhile the volunteer rescue operations after dark in Porto Alegre were also hampered by looting. 
"We are not going out to rescue people at night without an armed escort, because it has become too risky," volunteer Lauro Strogulski said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Rescue efforts in flood-stricken southern Brazil were hampered on Wednesday (May 8) by renewed rain and the threat of lightning and strong winds. These weather conditions risk worsening calamity that has already claimed at least 100 lives and displaced over 163,000 people.

Rescue efforts in flood-stricken southern Brazil were hampered on Wednesday (May 8) by renewed rain and the threat of lightning and strong winds. These weather conditions risk worsening calamity that has already claimed at least 100 lives and displaced over 163,000 people. The floods that started last week, caused by unusually heavy rains, have destroyed highways and bridges in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Around 128 people are still missing, the state's civil defense authority said and urged people living close to the Patos lagoon to leave their homes immediately. The army soldiers were seen using the amphibious armored cars to rescue people from flooding in Canoas, where the waters have reached a depth of some three meters (10 ft) and the streets can only be navigated by boat. "I have been living in this tractor with my children, to survive this calamity. We believe it will pass," an exhausted Farias told Reuters. He said he had slept little and eaten less. RISK OF MORE FLOODS Brazil's disaster center placed the southern region of Rio Grande do Sul under high risk as heavy rain is expected to resume imminently. Weather forecaster MetSul warns of very large floods of serious proportions for the area. In neighboring Uruguay, storms and flooding have closed highways and left nearly 800 people displaced and over 3,000 people without power, the government said. In Brazil, many residents in and around Porto Alegre, a city of 1.3 million people, have been living in darkness after power companies cut off electricity for security reasons. The residents have faced shortages of products, especially drinking water. Supermarket managers said there was no access for supply trucks or employees trying to get to work. Mineral water sales were restricted in some supermarkets. Meanwhile the volunteer rescue operations after dark in Porto Alegre were also hampered by looting. "We are not going out to rescue people at night without an armed escort, because it has become too risky," volunteer Lauro Strogulski said. (With inputs from agencies)

Fresh rains hinder rescue efforts in flood-ravaged southern Brazil

Violent rain has killed scores of people and forced thousands from their homes this year in Brazil's most populous states, a disaster experts blame on climate upheaval but also rampant urbanization.

Flash floods, landslides and other havoc wrought by torrential rain have killed at least 29 people in recent days in the states of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Another 25 are missing.

That comes after more than 50 people were killed by heavy rain that devastated the state of Minas Gerais in January.

The same scenes of destruction have played out in all three southeastern states, together home to more than 83 million people: poor neighbourhoods wiped out by tidal waves of brown mud; houses and cars swept away by flash floods; residents evacuated by boat and helicopter as their streets turn to gushing rivers.

More than three million people live in high-risk zones in Brazil's southeast, which has been hit by record rain this year -- in some places, a month's worth in a matter of hours.

As dozens of rescue workers dug through the debris of wrecked houses for his missing mother, stepfather and sister-in-law, one of those affected, 24-year-old Yago de Sousa Nunes, voiced frustration that the authorities did not do more to protect the at-risk population.

"The city government knew this was a high-risk zone, they knew how much rain was going to fall this week, but they didn't do anything to evacuate people," he said alongside the ruins of the Barreira de Joao Guarda neighbourhood, in the coastal city of Guaruja, Sao Paulo.

Extreme weather

Is climate change to blame?

Experts say more studies are needed to be sure.

But there is no doubt the region is experiencing "an increase in extreme weather events," said Andrea Ramos of the National Meteorological Institute.

This year, the rainy season in southeastern Brazil has been marked by extremes, said Marcelo Seluchi of the Natural Disaster Monitoring and Alert Center (Cemaden): very dry in the first half of the summer, then very wet from mid-January on.

"The planet is heating up, that's beyond doubt. It's more humid than 50 or 100 years ago, which means the same weather systems have more potential to create rain," he said.

That has combined with the rampant expansion of urban areas to increase people's vulnerability to floods.

Brazil's biggest cities have seen decades of nearly unchecked growth, as poor migrants arrive and settle wherever they can, often building unstable shantytowns on hillsides or the extreme city outskirts.

"Population growth and the growth of cities means we're replacing vegetation with cement, and that's where a long-standing problem in Brazil comes into play: lots of building on high-risk areas," Seluchi told AFP.

More than half the population of the southeast region's state capitals -- Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Vitoria -- lives in at-risk zones. And 80 per cent of those people are "highly vulnerable: they live in very precarious houses, with high population density and a high percentage of children and the elderly," he said.

Housing problem

Rio de Janeiro's Mayor Marcelo Crivella, a far-right evangelical Christian bishop, caused outrage amid the floods when he blamed residents for the destruction.

"People like to live close (to flood-prone rivers and gulleys) because they spend less on sewage pipes for their pee and poop," he said.

Unaffordable housing costs have forced the urban poor into areas unfit for settlements, said Henrique Evers, an urban development expert at the World Resources Institute.

"Planning housing for vulnerable populations near urban services is one of the best ways to deal with this challenge," he said.

"Brazil still has a long way to go."

Violent rain has killed scores of people and forced thousands from their homes this year in Brazil's most populous states, a disaster experts blame on climate upheaval but also rampant urbanization.

Violent rain has killed scores of people and forced thousands from their homes this year in Brazil's most populous states, a disaster experts blame on climate upheaval but also rampant urbanization. Flash floods, landslides and other havoc wrought by torrential rain have killed at least 29 people in recent days in the states of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Another 25 are missing. That comes after more than 50 people were killed by heavy rain that devastated the state of Minas Gerais in January. The same scenes of destruction have played out in all three southeastern states, together home to more than 83 million people: poor neighbourhoods wiped out by tidal waves of brown mud; houses and cars swept away by flash floods; residents evacuated by boat and helicopter as their streets turn to gushing rivers. More than three million people live in high-risk zones in Brazil's southeast, which has been hit by record rain this year -- in some places, a month's worth in a matter of hours. As dozens of rescue workers dug through the debris of wrecked houses for his missing mother, stepfather and sister-in-law, one of those affected, 24-year-old Yago de Sousa Nunes, voiced frustration that the authorities did not do more to protect the at-risk population. "The city government knew this was a high-risk zone, they knew how much rain was going to fall this week, but they didn't do anything to evacuate people," he said alongside the ruins of the Barreira de Joao Guarda neighbourhood, in the coastal city of Guaruja, Sao Paulo. Extreme weather Is climate change to blame? Experts say more studies are needed to be sure. But there is no doubt the region is experiencing "an increase in extreme weather events," said Andrea Ramos of the National Meteorological Institute. This year, the rainy season in southeastern Brazil has been marked by extremes, said Marcelo Seluchi of the Natural Disaster Monitoring and Alert Center (Cemaden): very dry in the first half of the summer, then very wet from mid-January on. "The planet is heating up, that's beyond doubt. It's more humid than 50 or 100 years ago, which means the same weather systems have more potential to create rain," he said. That has combined with the rampant expansion of urban areas to increase people's vulnerability to floods. Brazil's biggest cities have seen decades of nearly unchecked growth, as poor migrants arrive and settle wherever they can, often building unstable shantytowns on hillsides or the extreme city outskirts. "Population growth and the growth of cities means we're replacing vegetation with cement, and that's where a long-standing problem in Brazil comes into play: lots of building on high-risk areas," Seluchi told AFP. More than half the population of the southeast region's state capitals -- Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Vitoria -- lives in at-risk zones. And 80 per cent of those people are "highly vulnerable: they live in very precarious houses, with high population density and a high percentage of children and the elderly," he said. Housing problem Rio de Janeiro's Mayor Marcelo Crivella, a far-right evangelical Christian bishop, caused outrage amid the floods when he blamed residents for the destruction. "People like to live close (to flood-prone rivers and gulleys) because they spend less on sewage pipes for their pee and poop," he said. Unaffordable housing costs have forced the urban poor into areas unfit for settlements, said Henrique Evers, an urban development expert at the World Resources Institute. "Planning housing for vulnerable populations near urban services is one of the best ways to deal with this challenge," he said. "Brazil still has a long way to go."

Chaotic climate, chaotic cities fuel Brazil flood toll

brazil-flood-toll

Brazil Flood Toll, News on Brazil Flood Toll, stories on Brazil Flood Toll, articles on Brazil Flood Toll, Brazil Flood Toll stories at Wion, Brazil Flood Toll news, Brazil Flood Toll latest news

brazil flood-toll

Fresh rains hinder rescue efforts in flood-ravaged southern Brazil

Chaotic climate, chaotic cities fuel Brazil flood toll