Cyclone leaves 22 dead and triggers flooding in Southern Brazil

As an extratropical cyclone formed on Sunday (Sep. 3) in the southern region of the country, it has claimed the lives of 22 individuals across the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina.

On his X account (formerly Twitter), Governor Eduardo Leite of Rio Grande do Sul confirmed that this marks the fourth severe weather event to impact his state since June of this year. He expressed condolences for each of the deaths and emphasized that the current priority is to prevent further loss of human lives.

"I have received reports of 15 fatalities in the municipality of Muçum, which is deeply saddening and raises the death toll from six to 21. This represents the highest number of casualties in a climatic event in the history of Rio Grande do Sul state," Governor Leite wrote.

In a tragic incident in Western Santa Catarina, a man lost his life when his vehicle was struck by a falling tree during a windstorm with speeds of up to 110 km/h in Jupiá on Monday (4).

The two affected states also witnessed extensive damage resulting from the storms. Civil Defense in Santa Catarina confirmed the occurrence of a tornado in the municipality of Santa Cecília.

According to the most recent report from the Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul, 62 municipalities have been impacted by the consequences of the extratropical cyclone, with an estimated 25,734 individuals affected throughout the state.

In an interview with Agência Brasil, Mayor Marcelo Caumo of Lajeado described the dire situation in his municipality in Rio Grande do Sul, where numerous areas lack internet, electricity, or telephone services, leaving residents stranded. Caumo characterized the situation as critical, noting that it is one of the worst experienced by residents after the Taquari River surged to a height of 17 meters.

"We've never seen a flood of this magnitude with such a large number of displaced residents. There are approximately a thousand people in this condition," lamented Marcelo Caumo.

Mayor Caumo further emphasized that a major issue is the residents who remain trapped because they disregarded evacuation recommendations while the water continued to rise. "These individuals believed that the water wouldn't reach their homes, and now they are inaccessible, as many parts of the city are without electricity and internet signal. They can't even charge their phones to communicate," Caumo expressed.

Weather forecast

The weather forecast for Rio Grande do Sul indicates that, despite a brief respite on Tuesday, rains are expected to return on Wednesday, accompanied by thunderstorms in the border region with Argentina.

On Thursday (7), rainfall will persist in the southern half of the state, posing disruption risks due to high precipitation volumes. The trend is for these instabilities to spread to other regions of the state on Friday (8), with intermittent heavy rainfall.

Extratropical cyclones, characterized by a center of low atmospheric pressure and often associated with a cold front, generate strong winds as the air pressure inside drops.