In September 2023, heavy rainfall and strong winds from an

extratropical cyclone Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of ...

resulted in the deaths of at least 47 people in

Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative_units_of_Brazil#List, fifth-most-populous state and the List of Brazilian st ...

state of Brazil, 940 injured, and caused $1.3 million in damage. Flooding also impacted several municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul, including Bento Gonçalves,

Caxias do Sul Caxias do Sul (), is a city in Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil, situated in the state's mountainous Serra Gaúcha region. It was established by Italian immigrants on June 20, 1890. Today it is the second largest city in the state of Rio Gr ...

Ibiraiaras Ibiraiaras is a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. As of 2020, the estimated population was 7,265. See also *List of municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul This is a list of the municipalities in the state of Rio Grande do S ...

Lajeado do Bugre Lajeado do Bugre is a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. As of 2020, the estimated population was 2,566. See also *List of municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul This is a list of the municipalities in the state of Rio Grande ...

, Nova Bassano, Santo Expedito do Sul, and São Jorge. The floods also prompted a

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

to be declared in the state by governor Eduardo Leite.

Background

The flooding was caused by the warming atmosphere resulting from climate change, which increases the likelihood of extreme rainfall. Global temperatures have risen by approximately 1.2 degrees Celsius since the onset of the industrial era. In 2022, torrential rain led to landslides and mudflows near the city of Recife in the country's northeast, resulting in the deaths of at least 100 people. That same year, floods in Petropolis, Rio de Janeiro, killed 231 people and caused 1 billion R$ ($193.8 million USD) in damage. In February 2023, flooding and landslides in Brazil's São Paulo state killed 40 people as of rain fell in São Sebastião.

Impact

Within a span of 72 hours, over 200mm (11 inches) of rainfall deluged the state from an

, resulting in floods and landslides. The heaviest rainfall in the 72-hour period was in Passo Fundo, receiving . Officials reported that thousands of individuals were compelled to evacuate their residences. In

Muçum Muçum is a small town in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Founded on January 31, 1959, also known as "Princesa das Pontes" (Princess of the Bridges) because of the railroad crossing Taquari river. Settlers came to the town by Taquari r ...

, local media sources indicated that hundreds were rescued from their rooftops as 85% of the town became inundated and 16 deaths occurred. The floods affected more than 354,711 people, with 940 injuries, 46 missing, 25,855 of them displaced and an additional 3,800 homeless.

Response

Rescue teams employed helicopters to access regions isolated by floodwaters. The governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, declared a

as he assessed damage across the state.

References

{{2023 floods 2020s floods in Brazil 2023 disasters in Brazil 2023 floods in South America September 2023 events in Brazil History of Rio Grande do Sul