The extent of the devastation of floods that are ravaging southern Brazil have been laid bare in new and dramatic satellite images shared with CNN.
In one of the images, from Maxar Technologies, an entire neighborhood of homes in the northern part of Porto Alegre, the state capital, lies largely underwater.
At the Salgado Filho International Airport in the capital, the runways and roads are entirely submerged — only buildings remain above water.
The record rainfall has been linked to El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon that warms waters in the Pacific and tends to bring heavy rainfall to southern Brazil.
Rio Grande do Sul — Brazil’s southernmost state, and until recently a tranquil agricultural region — has seen repeatedly extreme weather events in recent years.
In the capital’s central area, the Gremio Arena football stadium, which seats 55,000 people, is surrounded by floodwaters, its pitch entirely submerged.
The Brazilian Football Confederation postponed matches involving teams from Rio Grande do Sul until May 27.
More than 46,000 people have been rescued from the waters in a mass operation involving some 15,000 personnel, the federal government said.
New and striking satellite images shared with CNN reveal the full extent of the destruction caused by the floods that are wreaking havoc in southern Brazil.
The civil defense agency reports that at least 95 people have perished in the intense rain and flooding that have ravaged the state of Rio Grande do Sul, affecting over a million people across 385 municipalities.
Floods overflowing with water and gushing well beyond their banks have caused the displacement of over 150,000 people along the Taquari and Cai Rivers in the region.
One of the pictures, from Maxar Technologies, shows a whole neighborhood of residences in the state capital of Porto Alegre, mostly submerged under water. Wide stretches of land are brown with floodwaters, and roads have become muddy rivers.
Only buildings are visible above water at the capital’s Salgado Filho International Airport; all of the runways and roadways are completely submerged.
The natural climate phenomenon known as El Niño, which warms the Pacific Ocean and frequently brings heavy rainfall to southern Brazil, has been connected to the record rainfall. In addition, the region’s extreme weather has been made worse by long-term global warming brought on mainly by human use of fossil fuels.
The southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, was once a peaceful agricultural area, but in recent years, there have been numerous instances of extreme weather.
The 55,000-seat Gremio Arena football stadium in the heart of the capital is completely submerged in water and encircled by floodwaters.
Games between Rio Grande do Sul teams have been postponed until May 27 by the Brazilian Football Confederation. Brazilian football player Neymar Jr. shared a photo of a plane parked next to pallets of supplies, including water bottles that he claimed to be from his father and himself, on Instagram.
He wrote: “Helping is NEVER too much; no matter your financial situation, what matters is what you carry in your heart. Our Brazil is going through a difficult time.”. “.
Tuesday saw the Brazilian President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, send a legislative decree to Congress expediting the transfer of resources to the region.
A massive operation involving about 15,000 personnel has resulted in the rescue of over 46,000 people from the waters, according to the federal government.
