A powerful storm in southern Brazil on Monday has left at least 27 people dead and more than 1,600 homeless, according to authorities. The storm caused widespread flooding and damage in more than 60 cities, especially in Rio Grande do Sul state.
According to the governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, the death toll records the highest ever in the state due to a climate event.
He said 15 of the victims died in one house in Mucum, a city of about 50,000 residents. The city hall at Mucum has recommended that residents seek out supplies to meet their needs for the next few days.
TV footage showed families on the roofs of their houses pleading for help as rivers overflowed their banks. Some people were swept away by the strong currents during rescue attempts. One of them was a woman who died while trying to cross the Taquari river with a rescuer.
The storm also affected other states in southern Brazil, such as Santa Catarina and Paraná. The Brazilian government has sent troops and helicopters to assist the local authorities in the relief efforts.
The extratropical cyclone was similar to the one that struck the same region in June, which killed 16 people and caused destruction in 40 cities.
Experts say such storms are rare but not unprecedented in South America. In 2004, an unofficially named Hurricane Catarina made landfall in southeastern Brazil with winds of 100 mph (155 km/h), damaging more than 30,000 homes and leaving 1,900 people homeless.
