Erechim Declares Emergency After Hailstorm as Ponta Grossa Counts 5,000 Affected

Overview

• In Erechim, a roughly 20-minute hailburst led to a municipal emergency declaration, with local authorities now citing 37,000 people affected.
• Health services in the city reported overcrowding and opened an additional emergency unit, with injury totals varying between 189 and 200 across reports.
• The Rio Grande do Sul government authorized R$1.5 million to purchase roof tiles for vulnerable families as 35 schools and 12 basic health units report damage.
• In Paraná, Ponta Grossa reports about 5,000 residents from 1,500 families affected and damage to homes, with no casualties recorded.
• Meteorologists attribute the large and persistent hail to very cold air between 3 and 6 km altitude and wind shear, with stones near 3 cm and deposits lingering up to 16 hours in parts of Paraná.