Flooding and landslides in southern Brazil

Heavy rainfall in southern Brazil has caused significant geological and hydrological instability across the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina.

In October, landslide risks prompted preventive evacuations in Santa Cruz do Sul and Apiúna. In Santa Cruz do Sul, authorities notified families in the Navegantes neighborhood to leave their homes due to potential flooding and soil instability near the Pardinho River. In Apiúna, geologists identified landslide risks in the Subida locality, leading to the preventive evacuation of 12 families.

By November, the situation escalated into severe flooding in the Alto Vale do Itajaí region of Santa Catarina. In Rio do Sul, the Itajaí-Açu river rose over two meters in a single morning, reaching 5.26 meters. This rise necessitated emergency boat rescues, including the extraction of four children from a flooded school. In Petrolândia, rising waters stranded livestock, complicating rescue efforts by the military fire brigade. To manage the rising river levels, the Santa Catarina State Civil Defense closed the floodgates of the Ituporanga and Taió dams.