Brazil: Number of Deaths Due to Floods Rises to 144

While authorities are forecasting new storms for southern Brazil, the latest Civil Defense report indicates that flooding caused by torrential rains left 144 dead and more than 2.1 million affected.

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Regarding the figures published yesterday, this Sunday there are seven fatalities and 125 people remain missing. There were 620,000 displaced persons, of whom more than 81,000 took refuge in makeshift shelters run by the Government.

The state of Rio Grande do Sul, bordering Argentina and Uruguay, is the most affected area. There more than 800 injured have been reported and 90 percent of its territory is damaged.

Losses in Rio Grande do Sul are estimated at $18.839 billion ($3.7 billion). Meanwhile, the Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, confirmed a package of aid of 50,000 million reais (9,800 million dollars), between credits and direct assistance measures.

This Sunday, the National Disaster Monitoring and Warning Center (CEMADEN) issued a high-risk alert for landslides in Rio Grande do Sul and the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre. The entity forecasts downpours, strong winds and low temperatures until next Tuesday.

Flooding caused by heavy rains in southern Brazil caused 144 deaths and more than 2.1 million people were affected, at a time when new storms threaten to further affect the region, authorities announced today.

Brazilian authorities describe a "war scenario" in Rio Grande do Sul. A rare combination of factors caused devastating flooding in the Brazilian state and affected more than two million people, and given the weather forecast, almost the entire state remains on high alert.