Brazil Floods Death Toll Rises to 83

Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is expressing “its concern over the mass floods in the southern region of Brazil and offers its condolences to the families who have lost loved ones.” 

The death toll from severe floods in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state has reached at least 83, with authorities investigating four additional deaths possibly linked to the storms. Over 276 people are injured and 111 remain missing, while more than 121,000 individuals have been displaced, according to the Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul.

This disaster has impacted over 850,000 people across 345 municipalities, causing widespread destruction of homes, roads, and bridges. Local residents and evacuees have reported seeing bodies in floodwaters, potentially not yet included in the official death count.

Around 1,000 firefighters are engaged in rescue missions. Operations have intensified as weather conditions allow, with rescue teams using inflatable rafts to evacuate people and pets.

The region has experienced a surge in extreme weather events, with at least 54 fatalities in September following a sub-tropical cyclone. The escalating climate crisis, driven primarily by human activities such as fossil fuel combustion, is exacerbating these extreme weather phenomena worldwide, intensifying their frequency and impact.