Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul is expecting more rain this weekend, as it grapples with the fallout of last week's fatal floods. At least 126 people have died and many thousands have been displaced from their homes.
People in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul were bracing for more rains this weekend, as efforts to rescue people stranded by last week's flooding in the state continued Saturday.
The state capital, Porto Alegre, was virtually cut off as the worst flooding in 80 years submerged entire neighborhoods. The airport and bus station remain closed.
Five of Porto Alegre’s six water treatment facilities were not working as of earlier this week, with the mayor issuing a decree to conserve water so it can only be used for "essential consumption."
Rains to persist until Monday
Brazil's national meteorology institute forecast on Friday afternoon that more than 15 centimeters (roughly 6 inches) of rain could fall over the weekend. Rains would persist until Monday, it said.
Authorities said there was a high likelihood that winds would intensify and water levels would rise in the Patos lagoon — the largest in Brazil situated just south of Porto Alegre.
Hundreds of thousands displaced from homes
Authorities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which is home to some 10.9 million people, say that at least 126 people died during the flooding.
More than 230,000 people have been displaced from their homes, with thousands living in makeshift shelters in schools and gymnasiums. Another 136 people are still missing.
In Canaos, one of the worst hit cities of the state, over 6,000 people were staying in a college gymnasium that has been turned into a temporary shelter.
olunteers carry dogs that have been evacuated from a flooded area in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil May 10, 2024.
