MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Large parts of southern Brazil under emergency due to heavy storms

Isolated landslides from accumulated rainfall in the Itajaí Valley and on the North Coast were not to be ruled out

The number of municipalities in the Brazilian State of Santa Catarina declaring a state of emergency due to heavy rainfall and a passing cyclone increased to eleven as of Tuesday afternoon.

The extreme weather, which peaked on Monday, left a trail of flooding, damage, and isolated communities across the state, though stability was reported to be returning.

The city of Luiz Alves in the Itajaí Valley was the most severely affected, with its city government suspending classes on Monday and Tuesday and opening a shelter for displaced residents. The city of 11,000 people recorded the equivalent of a week's worth of rain in less than 24 hours.

The severe effects included significant flooding that overwhelmed houses and isolated a group of cattle on one property. Santa Catarina Governor Jorginho Mello was to visit Luiz Alves to assess the extent of the damage.

On the North Coast, Joinville reported multiple flooding points and road closures in at least four neighborhoods on Monday morning, as did Balneário Barra do Sul and Araquari.

The bad weather extended beyond Santa Catarina, impacting neighboring states, such as in Erechim, Rio Grande do Sul, where more than 150 people were reported injured. In Guarapuava, in the State of Paraná, damaging hailstones the size of chicken eggs were reported.

Authorities confirmed Tuesday that the cyclone was losing strength as instability receded. Normal weather conditions were expected in most of Santa Catarina in the coming hours. However, isolated landslides from accumulated rainfall in the Itajaí Valley and on the North Coast were not to be ruled out.

Despite the improving conditions, several communities remain isolated, including more than 40 homes in Massaranduba, which also suspended classes due to the rainfall.