On Friday, June 16, a tropical storm struck Rio Grande Do Sul in southern Brazil. There are at least twelve dead and some have speculated up to twenty have gone missing. The storm has left Brazilian neighborhoods devastated and thousands homeless.
The town of Caraa was one of the worst hit. Hundreds have been relocated into community centers and sports facilities. A focus has been put on search and rescue. Authorities have issued a warning for the risk of landslides. Helicopter searches have gone underway to traverse the flooded streets and search for the missing people. Within the past two days, 2,400 rescues have been made, carried out by the Military Firefighters Corps.
The flooding has resulted in eroded roads, leaving residents stranded. To resolve the issue, the Secretariat for Logistics and Transport is in the process of examining damaged infrastructure, such as bridges and roads, in hopes of providing means of transportation for refugees.
Brazil has a frequent history of weather disasters, as recent as February 2023. It has only gotten worse with the warming climate. With the rising global temperatures, come increased tropical hurricanes and cyclones.
The federal and state governments are providing humanitarian as well as financial aid. Authority figures have traveled to the hardest hit regions to aid with the relief effort, yet they still are relying on the cooperation of the community to get through this natural disaster.
