close
close

Dozens of people have died and are missing in Brazil’s worst flooding in 80 years

(Bloomberg) — Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and key Cabinet members visited the south of the country, where record-breaking floods have shut down a main airport and inundated neighborhoods, leaving dozens of people dead and many more missing.

Heavy rains in the state of Rio Grande do Sul caused flooding of major rivers, polluted humidity and forced the displacement of more than 88,000 people in more than 330 communities. According to the official report dated May 5, 2024, at least 75 people have died and 103 are missing. Several neighborhoods of Porto Alegre, the region’s most populous city, are under water and the international airport announced on May 3 that it would be closed for an indefinite period of time.

Companies that announced they would suspend their activities due to the heavy rains are resuming normal work.

According to social media posts, President Lula landed in Rio Grande do Sul for the second time this week and was scheduled to meet with the state’s governor, Eduardo Leite.

Leite is calling for federal aid to rebuild his region’s infrastructure, saying the effort required is comparable to the billions of dollars the U.S. government spent after World War II.

President Lula toured the flooded areas and held a press conference surrounded by several members of his cabinet, including Finance Minister Fernando Haddad and Chief of Staff Rui Costa, as well as congressional leaders and members of the country’s judicial courts.

“This is a very important state in Brazil,” said Lula, who pledged federal aid to rebuild roads. Rio Grande do Sul is one of the key states for agriculture and a key reason for the country’s better-than-expected economic performance last year.

This is the fourth extreme weather wave that Rio Grande do Sul has faced in less than a year. Experts say the floods are the worst in 80 years, surpassing the 1941 floods when it rained for more than 30 days. Some communities are facing heavier rainfall than last September, when 54 people died and damage spread to 40 towns along the Taquari River.

Related:

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.