In Southern Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state, the death toll has reached 75 people due to the severe flooding, while over 100 individuals remain missing, according to local authorities on Sunday. The state's civil defense authority reported that 101 people are still unaccounted for, and more than 80,000 residents have been displaced as record-breaking floods swept across the region, which shares borders with Uruguay and Argentina.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrived in Rio Grande do Sul on Sunday, accompanied by most members of his cabinet, to meet with local authorities and discuss rescue and reconstruction efforts. Rescue teams are working tirelessly to save individuals stranded by the rising waters, utilizing four-wheel-drive vehicles and even jetskis to navigate through waist-deep water.

The storms have impacted nearly two-thirds of the state's 497 cities, causing landslides, damaged roads, collapsed bridges, power outages, and water cuts. Brazil's civil defense agency reported that more than a million people currently lack access to drinking water.

The devastating situation was further exacerbated when a dam at a hydroelectric plant partially collapsed on Thursday between the cities of Bento Gonçalves and Cotiporã. Entire cities like Lajeado and Estrela in the Taquari River valley were completely submerged by water, leading to desperate scenes of families awaiting rescue on their rooftops.

Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, experienced the Guaíba River overflowing its banks, resulting in flooded streets. Aerial images depict submerged residential areas, with only the tops of houses visible. Desperate individuals either stood on rooftops or navigated the streets in canoes or small boats.

The Brazilian Geological Service stated that the flooding has surpassed that of the devastating deluge in 1941, with water levels in some cities reaching their highest in nearly 150 years of record-keeping. The situation has led to the suspension of all flights at Porto Alegre's international airport indefinitely.

While rainfall is expected to continue in the northern and northeastern regions of the state, the volume of precipitation is decreasing and should remain below recent levels, according to the state meteorology authority. The governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, stated that river water levels would remain high for several days, but it was challenging to determine the exact duration of the crisis.

This catastrophic event is being regarded as the worst climate disaster to ever hit the state, with scientists and local experts attributing the intensification of weather patterns, including periods of intense rain and drought, to the ongoing human-made climate crisis. Rio Grande do Sul had already experienced severe flooding in September, following a prolonged period of drought.

As rescue efforts continue and the devastation is assessed, Brazil rallies together to support those affected by these unprecedented floods.