As the death toll from the catastrophic floods in Brazil's southernmost state increased from 113 earlier in the day to 126, local authorities reported that rain has returned to Rio Grande do Sul on Friday.
The state, which is home to over 10.9 million people, has been severely damaged by storms and floods. As a result, nearly 340,000 people have been forced to flee, while 141 more remain missing, according to civil defense.
Numerous rivers and lakes in the area have reached record levels as a result of the heavy rains, and floods have obstructed roads and interfered with transportation, leading to a scarcity of necessities in some places.
According to the most recent update from civil defense on Friday night, about two million individuals have been impacted thus far.
The majority of Rio Grande do Sul cities should see rain on Friday, according to weather forecaster MetSul, which also noted that there is a high chance of storms. It also stated in a statement that they ought to continue till Monday.
Due to the state's location near the meeting point of the polar and tropical atmospheres, it experiences both times of drought and periods of heavy rain.
Scientists in the area think that climate change is to blame for the pattern's increasing intensity.
A college gymnasium that had been converted into a shelter was housing nearly 6,000 people in Canoas, one of the hardest-hit areas close to the state capital Porto Alegre.
Aparecida de Fatima Fagundes claimed that she had been having trouble falling asleep because she was preoccupied with memories of "the worst day" of her life.
"I keep hearing people say, 'Help, help,'" the woman recalled. "It was awful."
According to the state government, almost 20 cities lacked telecom service, and over 385,000 people did not have access to water.
The federal government unveiled a package of aid measures for Rio Grande do Sul on Thursday. These measures included giving farmers and businesses cheaper financing and deferring the distribution of social benefits.
Earlier this week, Governor Eduardo Leite stated that preliminary estimates suggest Rio Grande do Sul would require at least 19 billion reais ($3.68 billion) to reconstruct after the damage, which has spread to agricultural areas surrounding the capital.
