The floods in Brazil

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Vast areas of the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul remain under water after the worst flooding in 80 years. Homes have been destroyed, thousands are without power or drinking water, and entire towns remain cut-off. The torrential rains began in Rio Grande do Sul at the end of April, saturating the ground and bursting the banks of the Taquari and Caí rivers. Those rivers flow into the Guaíba, which has led to severe flooding in the state capital, Porto Alegre. Six hundred thousand people have been displaced from their homes and more than 150 are confirmed to have died. Rescue workers continue to search for people who are missing. We bring together three residents of Porto Alegre to share their experiences of the flooding, including Renata whose apartment was under water. “I had these diaries that I write since I was a kid and when I got in my apartment to try to save a little bit of the things I have, everything was just turned down,” she tells us. “All those memories only exist in my mind, because I couldn’t save all those histories that I had with my family and my grandma.” We also bring together volunteer rescue workers. They share their stories of sailing along flooded streets, helping people escape the rising water, as well as their hopes to rebuild, no matter how long it takes. A Boffin Media production in partnership with the BBC OS team. (Photo: People being rescued in Brazil. Credit: Beto Bordasch)