PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil – Over a week of severe thunderstorms caused damage and deadly flash flooding in southern Brazil, claiming at least eight lives and displacing nearly 6,000 people, according to government officials.
Severe thunderstorms that began on Nov. 14 dropped up to 4 inches of rain a day in parts of the region and continued to accumulate over the past week, including the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, according to Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology (INMET). Forecasts called for more than a foot of rainfall over five days.
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Officials confirmed multiple tornadoes touched down on Saturday in the southern state of Santa Catarina. According to the State Secretariat for Civil Protection and Defense, there were five confirmed tornadoes in the region in November.
Storms continued bringing high winds, hail and heavy rain throughout the week.
Civil Defense officials said the flooding has impacted 180 municipalities within the state. Fourteen municipalities are in a “state of public calamity.”
Nearly 6,000 families have been displaced since the storms began, according to the Secretariat of Social Assistance, Women and Family of Santa Catarina (SAS). However, that number is expected to rise.
Rio do Sul was still working to recover from flooding in September and October when the heavy rains created more flooding in the region.
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Santa Catarina Gov. Jorginho Mello said on Sunday a humanitarian aid task force is working to deliver food, water and mattresses to families in shelters.
A cold front moving through southern Brazil continues to bring rain and winds to southern Brazil into the weekend.
Rio Grande do Sul’s capital city, Porto Alegre, again faced severe weather on Tuesday, with nearly 4 inches of rain forecast to fall through Wednesday and 60 mph wind gusts, according to INMET.
On Wednesday, NOAA’s GOES East satellite shows the system moving over the region.
In the past 24 hours, flooding rains have continued, including over 2.4 inches in Bage and nearly 2 inches in Santana do Livramento, according to INMET.
INMET is forecasting rain showers, strong winds and thunderstorms through Friday for Rio Grande do Sul.
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