At least 37 people have died after heavy flood hit southern Brazil

Severe rain in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul caused floods that killed 37 people. Another 74 people are still missing. Many cities were heavily affected by the floods and thousands of people had to leave their homes.

There were four big environmental disasters in one year. In July, September, and November 2023, there were floods that killed 75 people in total.

The flooding in the whole state is worse than the historic flood in 1941, according to the Brazilian Geological Service. The water levels in some cities were the highest they have been in almost 150 years, according to the agency.

On Thursday, a dam at a power plant between Bento Goncalves and Cotipora broke and flooded cities in the Taquari River valley, such as Lajeado and Estrela. In Feliz town, a big river flooded and washed away a bridge that connected it to the nearby city of Linha Nova, which is 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the state capital, Porto Alegre.

Without internet, phones, or power, people had a hard time telling their family in other states what was happening. The helicopters kept flying over the cities. Families with kids were stuck on the rooftops, waiting to be rescued.

The heavy rain started on Monday and will continue until at least Saturday, according to Marcelo Seluchi, the main weather expert at Brazil’s public television network.

On Thursday night, Governor Eduardo Leite warned the people of the state, called gauchos, about the continued heavy rains and flooding. He said that things were going to get worse in Porto Alegre.

“I feel really sad, just like every gaucho does,” he said. As governor, I promise to stay strong and make sure we don’t fail. We are working hard and staying focused to make sure we get everything done.

The weather in South America is influenced by a natural event called El Niño. El Niño warms the water in the Pacific Ocean near the Equator. In the past, El Niño has caused dry weather in the north and heavy rain in the south of Brazil.

This year, the effects of El Niño have been really severe, causing a very bad drought in the Amazon. Researchers say that extreme weather is happening more often because of people’s impact on the climate.