IN PICS | Southern Brazil hit by the worst floods in more than 80 years

It is the fourth such environmental disaster in a year, following floods in July, September and November 2023 that killed 75 people in total.

A man wades through an area flooded by heavy rains, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. (Photo | AP)

A man wades through an area flooded by heavy rains, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil.

Heavy rains in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul killed 39 people, with another 68 still missing, the state civil defense agency said Friday, as record-breaking floods devastated cities and forced thousands to leave their homes.

It was the fourth such environmental disaster in a year, following floods in July, September and November 2023 that killed 75 people in total.

The flooding statewide has surpassed that seen during a historic 1941 deluge, according to the Brazilian Geological Service. In some cities, water levels were at their highest since records began nearly 150 years ago, the agency said.

Streets are flooded after heavy rain in Sao Sebastiao do Cai, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil.

Operators reported electricity, communications and water cuts across the state. More than 24,000 people had to leave their homes, according to the civil defense agency.

People evacuate from an area flooded by heavy rains, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil.

Without internet, telephone service or electricity, residents struggled to provide updates or information to their relatives living in other states.

A soldier evacuates a dog from an area flooded by heavy rains, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Friday, May 3, 2024.