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https://freedium.cfd/https://medium.com/the-new-climate/southern-brazil-battles-against-the-elements-like-never-before-e55abcc489dd>
"A jetski roars past a gasping four-wheel-drive, its snorkel barely breaking
the surface of the engulfing tide. Behind it, a wooden canoe battles the
surging currents, reaching its unlikely destination: a crumbling concrete wall.
Its captain, undeterred, rescues a terrified dog clinging desperately for life.
Above, the ominous hum of helicopter blades offers a fleeting promise of hope.
Yet, the merciless brown tide continues its assault.
This scene could be ripped from the pages of a dystopian science fiction novel,
but it's the grim reality that has gripped Brazil for the past week. Torrential
downpours have unleashed a flood of biblical proportions upon Rio Grande do Sul
State, accounting for 70% of the month's typical rainfall. The resulting floods
have eclipsed the historic deluge of 1941, with water levels in some cities
reaching heights unseen in nearly 150 years of record-keeping, cutting off
towns with raging floods and mudslides.
But one thing's for sure — we won't have to wait 150 years for the next one.
Ane Alencar, science director for the Amazon Environmental Research Institute,
told the
Associated Press that the oscillating pattern of extreme
drought-extreme rain was likely "the new normal."
Alencar's words were spoken before the current catastrophic flooding that has
left people and even horses trapped on rooftops, hoping to be rescued."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
