Brazil’s Deadly Storms Destroy 100,000 Homes, Take 100 Lives

Local officials in Rio Grande do Sul state, south Brazil, claimed that more than a week of record rainfall and flooding had killed at least 100 people and destroyed or badly damaged approximately 100,000 homes.

The National Confederation of Municipalities reported in an update on Wednesday that overflowing rivers and floods in the state have affected over 1.45 million people and forced approximately 200,000 individuals to abandon their homes.

According to the confederation, about 99,800 dwellings of all types have suffered either total or partial damage since the state’s biggest weather-related disaster struck on April 29.

As many as 414 of the state’s 497 towns, a major agricultural and animal producer bordering Argentina and Uruguay, have declared an emergency due to the storms.

The confederation estimates economic damages of 4.6 billion reals (about $904 million), which include damage to houses and public infrastructure, as well as agriculture, cattle, industry, commerce, and services.

Rio Grande do Sul received five months’ worth of rainfall in a single week, resulting in historic floods.

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