Heavy rains last week caused flooding in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The situation there has been critical since last week. The capital of the state is Porto Alegre, where the following comparative satellite images come from.
Images taken by Maxar Technologies compare the pre-flood situation with the water state on May 7, 2024.
As a result of the flood, over 100 people have died in Brazil, tens of others are missing and hundreds of people are injured, writes the Brazilian server G1. 230,000 people are out of their homes due to the disaster. Access to drinking water is a big problem.
After several days under water, the situation worsened in Porto Alegre this week when it started raining again. According to estimates, the international airport there will only be operational again at the end of the month.
The authorities ordered the evacuation of the nearby town of Eldorado do Sul, home to 40,000 people, because it has no supplies of drinking water and electricity. The city also lacks safe shelters for people without a roof over their heads.
In the southern state of Brazil, the floods affected 1.45 million people and 417 of almost 500 municipalities. Forecasters are expecting more heavy rain and strong winds at the end of the week, which could make the situation even worse.
According to Governor Eduard Leite, this is the worst natural disaster in the modern history of this state. According to the authorities, it is now impossible to estimate the total amount of damage.
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Tags: Satellite images reveal devastation caused unprecedented flooding Brazil
