Brazil: Rio Grande do Sul Flood Emergency: Snapshot #3 As of 10 June 2024

Almost six weeks since extreme weather conditions brought heavy rains and flooding to southern Brazil, water remains high in several regions in the most southern parts of Rio Grande do Sul. With damage in 478 out of 497 municipalities, more than 95 per cent of the state has been affected, an area comparable to the United Kingdom. According to local authorities, the flooding is the most severe disaster the region has ever faced. At its peak of impact in mid-May, the floods displaced almost 700,000 people, with 80,000 seeking refuge in shelters

2.3M PEOPLE AFFECTED

173 DEATHS REPORTED

38 PEOPLE MISSING

423K PEOPLE DISPLACED

200K HOUSES AFFECTED

18K PEOPLE IN SHELTERS

OVERVIEW

The number of affected people remains at 2.3 million, but the death toll has risen to 173, with 38 still missing. Approximately 423,000 people are still displaced, with more than 18,000 in shelters and an unknown number of people staying with friends, families and neighbours.

As of 6 June, 95 municipalities remain in a state of public calamity and 348 in an emergency situation. With the water receding from major cities and large rural areas, authorities have continued to assess and estimate preliminary losses for housing and livelihoods, including losses in agriculture, livestock, and industrial/commercial sectors. A more detailed assessment is expected to be conducted in the coming weeks.

On 7 June, a delegation from the Ministry of Education completed an assessment of the municipality school network in Rio Grande do Sul, revealing that 1,052 schools are affected and 35 completely destroyed.

The state government estimates that the flooding has affected a total of 4,521km of streets, avenues, roads and highways in the 78 municipalities that declared a public state of calamity. This is 124km greater than the distance to cross Brazil from north to south.

Brazil's Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company (Emater) estimates that 2.7 million hectares of soil, almost the entire land size of Belgium, lost fertility due to the floods. Producers in 405 municipalities have already reported issues. According to the state government, recovering the affected soil will cost around R$16 billion (US$3 billion).

According to research conducted by the University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos,
Rio Grande do Sul faces zero or negative economic growth until August, representing a potential 4.2 per cent loss as growth was forecast between 4 and 4.5 per cent. The most affected municipalities according to the study are Eldorado do Sul, Canoas and São Leopoldo with economic drops, respectively, of 36.3 per cent, 19.8 per cent and 19.3 per cent in May 2024 when compared to the same period last year.