Huge floods in Brazil’s south are a harbinger of disasters to come

Torrential rains have been battering the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul for almost three weeks. On May 2nd eight of the world’s ten rainiest cities were in the state. At least 150 people have died and 130 are missing. Six hundred thousand people have been made homeless. Many have no drinking water or electricity. “It’s like a war zone,” says Bruna Travi, a volunteer in Porto Alegre, the state capital. Civilians are using fishing boats and jet-skis to pull survivors out of the filthy water and bring them to shelters, which are largely supported by donations.