Worst flooding in 80 years hits Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul

Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul is being inundated by its worst flooding in 80 years, killing 100 people and rendering thousands homeless. Rains are expected to persist over the weekend.

Brazilian state of Rio Grande so Sul flooded

By noon on May 8, state authorities said 372 people had been injured and 128 were unaccounted for. More than 1.45 million people were affected by the floods, which have spread to 417 of the state’s 497 cities.

The flooding has hampered rescue efforts, with dozens of people still waiting to be evacuated by boat or helicopter from stricken homes. Small boats crisscrossed the flooded regions searching for survivors.

Rains and flooding started in the northern part of Brazil before water came rushing through a network of lakes and rivers. Water in Guaiba, a lake in Porto Alegre, reached as high as 5.30 meters, beating a record set in 1941, data from the state government showed.

Brazil's national center for natural disasters warned that the southern area of Rio Grande do Sul state was under "high risk" of more flooding, with rainfall expected to restart after a brief hiatus. Weather forecaster MetSul said in a statement the region could face more "very large" floods "of serious proportions".