Since 27 April, Rio Grande do Sul, in the far south of the country's southern region, has suffered from a rare combination of climatic factors that has resulted in a long and voluminous period of rain. This combination has included a warm air mass in southeastern and central-western Brazil that has blocked the movement of a cold front in the country's south.
In addition, two corridors of humidity, coming from both the Pacific Ocean due to the influence of the El Niño phenomenon and from the Amazon, boosted rainfall in Rio Grande do Sul.
In Canoas, the Madre Josefa Educational Centre, home to almost a hundred children aged 1 to 5, was completely flooded. The four sisters living there had to be rescued by boat on 4 May. As a result of the overflowing of the protective dykes, the neighborhood is still flooded, preventing the resumption of classes.
From 4 to 18 May, the Espírito Santo School Sports Gymnasium in the Nossa Senhora das Graças neighbourhood became a shelter for the families of Canoas affected by the floods. The school accommodated 192 people and 41 pets at the peak of the shelter's capacity. Many school staff members and volunteers helped house and care for this population, in addition to organizing donations of drinking water, food, hygiene products, cleaning materials, medicines, toys, clothes, shoes, mattresses, and blankets, among other contributions. To support the families and help them rebuild their homes, Solidarity Networks, an institution run by the Sisters of the Holy Spirit, launched the campaign "Compaixão para Rio Grande do Sul". Your donation will make a difference in the lives of many people.
By Press Office _SSpS_Brazil
