A cyclone battered southern Brazil early this week, killing at least 22 people, displacing 3,000 others and prompting the federal government to dispatch helicopters for rescues, the authorities said late Tuesday.
Since Sunday, the storm has brought strong winds and floods to the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, submerging dozens of towns, according to the Ministry of Social Development.
More rainfall was on the way, and some areas could get more than 11 inches of rain this week, Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology said.
Authorities also warned of further flooding near three rivers in the region.
The storm, which forecasters described as an extratropical cyclone, also spawned a tornado and winds exceeding 62 miles per hour in Santa Catarina, the state’s Civil Defense said on Tuesday.
Organizations:
Ministry of Social, Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology, Authorities, state’s Civil Defense
Locations:
Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina