From top to bottom, rescuers scour buildings in Porto Alegre for inhabitants stuck in apartments or on rooftops as unprecedented flooding turned the streets of the Brazilian metropolis into rivers. The death toll has risen to at least 83 people, while more than a hundred are still missing.

Porto Alegre

Extreme weather events are occurring more frequently amid rising sea-levels and increasing temperatures.

Climate Crisis

Rescuers are intensively working to locate and assist survivors in the wake of catastrophic flooding that has struck southern Brazil, notably affecting the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The disaster has caused significant destruction, submerging entire towns, and disrupting transport networks with roads washed out. This operation, described as statewide, highlights the severe aftermath of rainfall that initiated approximately a week ago.

In Porto Alegre, a Brazilian metropolis with a population nearing 1.4 million, unprecedented floodwaters have transformed urban landscapes into aquatic environments. The Guaiba River, having overflowed its banks, reached unprecedented levels. Rescue efforts in this city and others, including Canoas, involve navigating through water-filled streets to reach those stranded in apartments or on rooftops. Volunteers and rescue teams have been seen forming human chains to maneuver boats for the evacuation of residents, while some individuals are being airlifted to safety.

The situation is dire, with the death toll surpassing 83 individuals and more than a hundred people reported missing. The floods have impacted nearly two-thirds of Rio Grande do Sul’s 497 cities. The president of Brazil, Lula da Silva, along with ministers and congressional members, have conducted an aerial survey of the affected areas to assess the devastation firsthand. This occurrence marks the fourth major environmental crisis to hit the state within a year, following similar events in July, September, and November. 

The increasing frequency and severity of such extreme weather events are attributed in part to climate change, with phenomena like El Nino contributing to the unpredictability and intensity of these disasters. As rescue operations continue, the focus remains on supporting the affected communities and addressing the immediate needs of those displaced or endangered by the flooding.



Rescuers race to reach survivors after southern Brazil floods

Entire towns are submerged, roads are washed out, and a statewide operation is underway in Rio Grande do Sul, roughly a week after the deluge began in southern Brazil. In the streets of Canoas, boat scour buildings and rooftops, and local residents in waist-high muddy waters make a human chain to pull the boats and ferry people to safety. Elsewhere, others are airlifted with their children in their arms. We have removed all the people who were on their roofs. Now we are removing people stuck in the second and third floors of their houses. The death toll is climbing, more than 100 people are missing, and the storms have impacted nearly two-thirds of the state's 497 cities, including in the capital Porto Alegre, a city of nearly 1.4 million people, where the Guaiba River burst its banks on Sunday and recorded its highest ever water levels. From above, President Lula da Silva and a team of ministers and congress surveyed the damage. I put them all in the helicopter and came here so that we could see what the floods mean together with the governor. So they saw the damage the rain is causing, because it's still happening in the city of Porto Alegre and the state of Rio Grande do Sul. This is the fourth such environmental disaster in the state in a year, following floods in July, September and November. While South America is periodically affected by the El Nino phenomenon, the impacts are growing increasingly dramatic, and extreme weather events are expected to be more frequent due to climate change.

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Council of the City of Sydney

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Climate Crisis