Brazil

Three Dead, Thousands Displaced as Heavy Rains Hit Southern Brazil

JUN 20 2025·Updated JUN 21 2025

Story

Above: Monitoring screens at the Defesa Civil RS headquarters on June 18, 2025. Image credit: Defesa Civil RS

The Facts

Authorities in Brazil's southernmost state Rio Grande do Sul reported on Friday that three people have died, one is missing and more than 6,000 have been forced to leave their homes due to heavy rains that have hit the state this week.
CNN Brasil
G1
The severe weather has caused five rivers statewide to rise above flood levels and widespread infrastructure damage across 90 municipalities such as Canoas, which borders the state's capital Porto Alegre.
Mercopress
XINHUA
Brazil's army said in a statement on Wednesday that troops have been deployed to seven hard-hit cities, including Santa Maria and the town of Santana do Livramento, near Uruguay.
ap
CNN Brasil
According to Governor Eduardo Leite, some regions had received more than 350 millimeters (14 inches) of rain as of Wednesday, with rainfall in municipalities such as Jaguari and Cachoeira do Sul in 48 hours more than twice as high as the historical average for the entire month of June.
ap
CNN Brasil
Many of the municipalities hit were damaged last year during floods that left more than 100 people dead statewide, and the state's capital, Porto Alegre, could soon be affected as the level of the Guaíba River is expected to rise in the coming days.
ap
Mercopress
An orange alert for rain and strong winds had been in place from Wednesday to Friday. Isolated heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is expected on Friday and Saturday across the state, with isolated moderate rain on Sunday.
ReliefWeb

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

Increasingly, severe rainstorms and flooding are being linked to global warming and climate change. Warmer weather allows air to retain more water vapor, which is why we must implement policies to cool the global temperature, save lives, and avoid billions of dollars in damage.

The Conversation

Narrative B

It's easy to dismiss extreme weather events as a consequence of climate change, but in reality, they're usually influenced by a myriad of factors. More research is needed before we can establish any direct causal link between the two.