Death toll from heavy rains, flooding rises to 13 in southern Brazil

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The death toll from heavy rains in Brazil’s southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul rose to 13, local authorities said on Thursday, May 2, 2024, as the state government declared a state of public calamity to handle the dramatic situation.

The storms, which have caused the greatest devastation in the state in recent years, also left 21 people missing and 5,257 displaced in 134 cities, according to Rio Grande do Sul’s civil defense.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is set to fly over the affected areas and meet with Governor Eduardo Leite later on Thursday in Santa Maria, which has seen three deaths, the most so far in one place.

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A flooded area of Capela de Santana is seen in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state on May 2, 2024. Authorities in Rio Grande do Sul have declared a state of emergency, as rescuers continue to search for some 21 people reported missing among the ruins of collapsed homes, bridges and roads. (Carlos Fabal/AFP via Getty Images)

Leite declared a state of public calamity, citing the risk faced by the state as a result of climate events.

The Rio Grande do Sul floods are just the latest recent natural disasters in Brazil. The state had already been battered by a tropical cyclone last September, when more than 30 people were killed.