Brazil Floods Displaced Thousands, Which Brought Destruction to a Variety of Areas

Devastating floods in southern Brazil have displaced over 400,000 people, killed at least 116, and submerged parts of Porto Alegre, requiring relocation of entire cities.

In the southern state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, a flood disaster triggered by heavy rains, which has made 400,000 people to leave their homes, and the number of deaths was 116.

In particular, Porto Alegre, the state capital, has been very hard hit, with a great part of the city's underwater levels and the most vital infrastructure damaged, thus the residents go without electricity and water supply. Residents testify how they became trapped in their basements and apartment buildings by the flooding waters that were rising fast.  The only escape was through the military trucks. 

"When I went to work on Monday the street was water-logged and my car could still get through.  By the afternoon the army was using a truck to rescue people," said resident Magda Moura.

Around 70,000 are displaced from their homes and have gone to churches, community centers, and wherever else they can get some sort of shelter. One such family is that of Roselaine da Silva, who is now staying in an evangelical church with her three kids after she had to let go of their home, pets, and stuff. 

She had no idea the water would become so overwhelming, da Silva said, with her voice breaking as she talked about leaving her cats behind. "I've cried so much, I couldn't stop blaming myself for leaving them in what I thought was the same place.  "

While neighbors and volunteers have moved to provide food, lodging, and other necessities to victims, the road to rehabilitation will be long. Experts caution that climate change is making weather more severe and reconstruction should not be done in the same places where the old buildings were built. 

"There is no point in re-building the whole area which had been destroyed, trying to make it the same way it was before.  It won't work anymore," said the ecology professor Marcelo Dutra da Silva. "Cities might have to move, as a whole. "

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As the heavy rainfall is at its peak, the worry of even more flooding is growing. But displaced residents like da Silva remain resolute amidst the devastation: We've lost so much but aren't alone.  As long as we have each other we can overcome anything.  We will rebuild.