Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul has been hit hard by heavy rain, resulting in the loss of 39 lives, as reported by local authorities on Friday.
Tragically, the death toll is expected to climb higher as dozens remain unaccounted for.
According to Rio Grande do Sul's civil defence authority, 68 individuals are still missing, and over 24,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes due to the storms.
Meanwhile, the impact of the severe weather has been widespread, affecting more than half of the 497 cities in the state, which shares borders with Uruguay and Argentina.
Additionally, in many towns, streets have been completely flooded, resembling rivers, roads and bridges have been washed away.
The storm also caused landslides and damaged part of a dam at a small hydroelectric power plant.
However, another dam in the city of Bento Goncalves is in danger of collapsing, prompting authorities to instruct nearby residents to evacuate.
Moreover, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has called the disaster one of the worst floods in the country's history.
