Death toll in Brazil flooding tops 100

Brazilian Army soldiers patrol Porto Alegre neighborhoods amid deadly flooding

An estimated 160,000 people have been left homeless

(Image credit: Nelson Almeida / AFP via Getty Images)

published 9 May 2024

What happened

At least 105 people have died and 130 are missing as devastating floods ravage southern Brazil. An estimated 160,000 people have been left homeless in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The Guaíba River rose over 16 feet in the state capital, Porto Alegre, and flights have been canceled from the city's flooded airport through the end of the month.

"The emergency is continuing to develop" and "it's not time to go home," said Rio Grande do Sul Gov. Eduardo Leite. "It seems like we're living through the end of the world," said nursing technician Beatriz Belmontt Abel to The New York Times.

Climate experts said the extreme rainfall in southern Brazil, and the concurrent drought in Brazil's Amazon, was tied to the cyclical El Niño phenomenon exacerbated by climate change, deforestation and unplanned urban growth.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.