At least 13 people were killed and 21 missing after heavy rains flooded southern Brazil, prompting the state government to send rescue helicopters to search for stranded residents, it was announced Thursday authorities.
The torrential rains that have hit the state of Rio Grande do Sul in recent days have been well above normal for this time of year, experts say.
During the last four days of April, the state received about 70% of the precipitation it usually sees for the entire month, according to National Weather Institute data analyzed by The New York Times.
Rains swelled rivers across the state’s low-lying Central Valley region, flooding towns, causing a bridge to collapse, blocking roads and triggering mudslides. One town, Canudos do Vale, remained isolated, without electricity or communication. In the town of Candelária, residents waited for rescue helicopters on the roofs of their flooded homes.
Nearly 10,000 people were forced to flee their homes, Rio Grande do Sul’s civil protection agency said in a statement. The crisis prompted Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite to declare a state of emergency on Wednesday evening.
“We are living, in Rio Grande do Sul, the worst moment, the worst disaster in our history,” Mr. Leite said at a press conference on Wednesday. “And unfortunately, the situation is going to get worse.”
Authorities have struggled to reach isolated residents, with search and rescue teams unable to reach some areas due to high river levels and heavy flooding. With nowhere to land, some helicopters used winches to extract residents from flooded areas.
“We will not be able to carry out all the rescues,” Mr. Leite said on Wednesday.
Meteorologists warned that more rain was likely in the coming days, which could further complicate relief efforts.
The country’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, visiting the region on Thursday, promised that federal agencies would “join state and local government efforts to navigate this difficult time.”
Last year, 37 people were killed in the same region of Brazil by torrential rains and strong winds caused by a cyclone.
The National Meteorological Institute said the region was reeling from the effects of a natural weather phenomenon known as El Niño, which can bring heavy rain to southern regions of Brazil, while causing drought in the Amazon rainforest.
