2 Killed, Thousands Evacuated in Heavy Rains in Brazil

Severe rainfall has claimed at least two lives and forced thousands to evacuate in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, just over a year after historic floods devastated the same region.

According to local authorities, more than 2,000 residents were displaced as torrential downpours triggered landslides, road collapses, bridge failures, and widespread power outages across the state.

The latest weather event has further strained infrastructure already weakened by previous natural disasters.

Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite stated on the social platform X that some areas received over 350 millimeters of rain since the weekend. Emergency services have been mobilized to assist affected communities, with rescue teams deployed to the hardest-hit areas.

Several of the municipalities impacted by this week’s storms were also among those devastated by the catastrophic floods in May of last year, which claimed more than 100 lives and left a trail of destruction across the region.