Brazilian authorities warn of more floods and landslides as new rainfall hits the south | National

Authorities have warned that new rain showers are expected to be heaviest in Brazil’s swampy south between Sunday and Monday. This will bring new misery to the victims of the floods that have killed 136 people so far.

State authorities warned late on Saturday of the risk of further rising waters and landslides.

“We are still dealing with an emergency,” Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite said in a video on Instagram.

Heavy rains last week caused rivers in the agricultural state to overflow their banks, leaving 806 injured and 125 missing, in addition to the dead, the civil defense agency said.

“Many people see the rain and are traumatized. We have seen how scared people are,” said Enio Posti, a firefighter in Porto Alegre, the capital of the stricken state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Of the more than two million people affected by the floods, more than 537,000 people have been displaced from their homes, including 81,000 in shelters.

According to the National Confederation of Municipalities, more than 92,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed by the floods.

UN experts and the Brazilian government blame climate change and the El Nino weather phenomenon for the flooding.

U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement that he was “saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by the floods,” adding that Washington was “working to provide the necessary assistance” in coordination with Brazilian authorities.

Residents were told to stay away from flooded areas, with risks including electrocution from downed power lines.

“I was soaked. They helped me and gave me clothes,” 36-year-old Everton Machado told AFP after being rescued by boat while searching for his parents.

– Aid distribution –

On the flooded streets of the Sao Joao neighborhood, volunteers and firefighters worked in heavy rain, delivering supplies to residents on jet skis and inflatable boats.

Volunteers took pets to shelters, while veterinarians treated people with medical needs.

Military and other security forces were also part of the relief efforts. Nearly two tons of food and supplies have been distributed by the federal government, in what President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called “the largest donation movement ever in the history of Brazil.”

The federal government this week pledged about $10 billion to rebuild Rio Grande do Sul, which is experiencing its worst climate disaster on record.

Water levels in the Guaiba River, which runs through Porto Alegre and is home to 1.4 million people, reached historic levels this week.

On Saturday afternoon they fell to 4.57 meters (15 feet), the lowest level since May 3.

Despite the new rain, Porto Alegre residents tried to return to some normalcy, with some shops and restaurants opening.

But with water supplies still disrupted, tankers delivering clean water were a common sight throughout the city.

Elsewhere, vacuum trucks pumped muddy water from streets and buildings.

Brazil has been hit by historic floods, record-breaking forest fires, unprecedented heat waves and drought in recent months.

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