12 dead and more than 20 missing after extra-tropical cyclone hits southern Brazil, causing floods

A tropical cyclone that hit southern Brazil on Friday left at least 12 people dead and more than 20 missing in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, according to Brazilian authorities. 

Cities in southern Brazil experienced twice as much rain in less than 24 hours than they had throughout the entire month of June so far. 

The “extra-tropical cyclone” and the torrential rains it brought caused widespread flooding to several neighborhoods in the state, forcing thousands to evacuate. Residents of the affected neighborhoods had to seek shelter in sports facilities. 

“Our priority at the moment is to find the missing and save people who may still be stranded by the floods.” Leite wrote in a statement. “We have all our teams in the field, and the Secretariat for Logistics and Transport is already analyzing compromised bridges and roads so that we can act in an urgent manner and provide free passage in these locations,” said Rio Grande do Sul's governor, Eduardo Leite, after he visited some of the worst-affected areas. 

Authorities have conducted more than 2,400 rescues across 35 cities over the past two days. The government of Rio Grande do Sul said it is conducting helicopter searches in the flooded neighborhoods to locate the missing individuals. 

“The water came up to our waist inside the house. Thank God, the firemen arrived quickly and got us out on boats. It seemed like a nightmare," a woman in the town of Sao Leopoldo told the newspaper Estadao. 

One of the towns that were most affected in the state was Caraa, which has a population of around 8,000 individuals. 

"The situation in Caraa deeply worries us. It is essential that we can, in an organized way, quickly map the main affected areas and identify the people who need support," Leite said. 

Authorities are also inspecting damaged roads and bridges in an attempt to reestablish a connection to the most affected areas.