Rain,
Wind Affect 130,000 In South
Brazil
Rio de Janeiro - The
number of people affected by the strong wind
and rain hitting Brazil's southern region
for the past few days has reached 130,000,
the Brazilian government announced on
Tuesday.
Since Saturday, a state of emergency has
been declared in 32 municipalities in the
three southern states.
Rising water levels of the region' rivers
caused floods in several towns. Strong wind
and floods damaged houses and bridges, and
mudslides blocked several roads in the three
states.
In Santa Catarina state, where some 82,000
people were affected by the storms, 17
municipalities have declared a state of
emergency and over 5,300 people were left
homeless.
The state registered winds of 142.5
kilometers per hour on Monday morning, and
of 138 kilometers per hour on Saturday.
Authorities are still investigating if there
was a tornado in the region.
In Rio Grande do Sul state near Brazil's
southern border, one person died and two
went missing after their vehicles were
swamped with water. A total of 15
municipalities have declared a state of
emergency, with 8,000 houses damaged and
some 4,800 people left homeless.
In Parana state, the rain caused damage in
over 25 municipalities and forced over 100
people to leave their homes. About 900
houses were damaged.
Brazil's southern region frequently suffers
from floods and heavy winds. Earlier in
September, a tornado hit Santa Catarina
state and in March, another tornado caused
severe damages. A catastrophic flood killed
135 people last year.
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