USA Today, by Saman Shafiq: Unprecedented heavy rainfall in Brazil has caused devastating floods in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul that has left more than 100 dead and over 163,000 seeking shelter.
The floods that began last week have destroyed highways and bridges and left streets inundated with murky water in Rio Grande do Sul, which borders Uruguay and Argentina, Reuters reported. About 136 people have also been reported to be missing, the state’s civil defense authority has said, as per Reuters.
Brazil’s army along with other emergency management agencies has been carrying out efforts to rescue people from the flood-ravaged areas using amphibious armored cars and rescue boats.
Flood waters in the state capital of Porto Alegre and Canoas, a municipality part of the Greater Porto Alegre area, have reached a depth of 10 feet, Reuters reports, and can now only be navigated by boat or jet skis.
Residents of Porto Alegre, a city of 1.3 million people, have been living without power, after companies cut off electric supply for safety purposes. Clean drinking water is also only available in a limited supply and residents are also facing shortages of basic goods.
More rain expected
However, the floods are far from over.
Brazil’s national center for natural disasters on Wednesday warned that more rain is incoming and the state continues to be under a “high risk” of more flooding, Reuters reported. More rainfall also threatens to thwart rescue efforts and local rescuers were ordered to halt their efforts Wednesday afternoon, given the forecast for rain, lightning storms and winds exceeding 50 mph.
Weather forecaster MetSul, in a statement to Reuters, said the region could face more “very large” floods “of serious proportions”.
Prophetic Link:
“Everything in the world is in agitation. The signs of the times are ominous. Coming events cast their shadows before. The Spirit of God is withdrawing from the earth, and calamity follows calamity by sea and by land. There are tempests, earthquakes, fires, floods, murders of every grade. Who can read the future? Where is security? There is assurance in nothing that is human or earthly.” Desire of Ages, page 636.1.
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