Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul | Floods - DREF Operation Update n° 1 ...

SITUATION ANALYSIS

Description of the crisis

Heavy rainfalls hit the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul between April 29 and May 4, causing the worst climate catastrophe in its history. Over 1,000 millimeters of rainfall was recorded during this period, leading to floods, landslides, and mudslides. According to the Brazilian Civil Defense, as of June 10, 2024, 478 municipalities (out of 496) have been impacted. On May 13, the state government declared a state of calamity throughout Rio Grande do Sul, with 46 cities listed under public calamity and 320 under emergency state. The rain has affected a total of 2,398,255 people, with 806 reported injuries and 175 confirmed deaths. The disaster has displaced 422,753 people, of whom 16,128 have been living in temporary shelters for the past month.

During the reporting period, the water levels decreased, and several areas across the state became accessible for humanitarian support. In many areas, the affected population has been cleaning their houses and streets are full of household items lost due to the floods, creating the risk of the spread of vector-borne and water-borne diseases. According to the Ministry of Health, as of 19th June, 21 deaths of leptospirosis were confirmed, with 363 confirmed cases and 5.501 suspected4. From 26/04 to 20/06, in the Region of Rio Grande do Sul, there were 151 official reports of people suffering from acute diarrhea.

On the 16th of June, the Brazilian Civil Defense released a new alert for floods and heavy rains in a large portion of the state – between the 16th and 17th of June, rains reached 30mm in 24 hrs. around most of the state, with some areas reaching 60mm. On the night of the 16th of June, the Brazilian Civil Defense alerted for new floods in rivers Caí, Cadeia, and Sinos, alerting citizens to evacuate their houses. This organization has placed most of the state's river basins at risk of water rising above flood levels. Meteorologists claim the storms in Rio Grande do Sul result from at least three regional phenomena, exacerbated by climate change. The situation in Rio Grande do Sul has worsened after the 14th of June, with up to 120 mm of rain expected in the regions of Missões, Centro e Noroeste, and up to 75 mm expected in Porto Alegre, Metropolitan region.

As of June 16th, 2024, the dam of Bugres in São Francisco de Paula was still at risk of failure, requiring urgent measures to preserve lives. Additionally, two other dams were reported to be under alert, needing urgent measures to prevent failure, and six dams were under "attention" status, needing repairs and monitoring.

Beyond the destruction and human toll, Rio Grande do Sul floods have severe socio-economic impacts, as families also lost their means of life, crops, and livestock. As a sign of this, the government index from June 11th reported that the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre had twice the inflation rate of the rest of the country, with a drastic 250% increase in food prices.