Rio do Sul, Brazil: Flooding forces rescues in schools and fields

Heavy rainfall and rising river levels in the Alto Vale do Itajaí region of Santa Catarina, Brazil, have triggered emergency rescue operations. In Rio do Sul, the Itajaí-Açu river rose more than two meters between 3:00 and 10:45, reaching a level of 5.26 meters. Firefighters used boats to rescue four children from the flooded Professor Frederico Navarro Lins school in the Barra do Trombudo neighborhood.

In Petrolândia, emergency teams responded to a situation where ten cattle, including seven cows and three calves, became stranded by rising waters. During the rescue attempt, the animals entered the current, complicating efforts by the Ituporanga Military Fire Brigade.

In response to the rising river levels and forecasted rainfall, the Santa Catarina State Civil Defense has closed the floodgates of the Ituporanga and Taió dams.