Extratropical Cyclone Pounds Southern Brazil With Fatal Flooding in SC and Tornado Damage in RS

Overview

• Authorities confirmed three deaths in Palhoça, Santa Catarina, after a vehicle was swept by floodwaters during intense rain that topped roughly 137 mm in 12 hours in parts of the city.
• A short‑lived tornado in Flores da Cunha, Rio Grande do Sul, damaged about 80 homes, cut power to roughly 5,000 customers and brought estimated gusts over 100 km/h.
• Ten states were placed on alert as emergency teams handled flooding, fallen trees and blocked roads, with Santa Catarina suspending classes across the state and in 90+ municipalities, affecting more than 510,000 students.
• In the São Paulo region, storms contributed to widespread outages—Enel reported about 100,000 customers without power—along with major traffic disruption and numerous calls for tree removals.
• Forecasts indicate the cyclone shifting to the ocean with dangerous coastal winds, heavy rain near 100 mm/day in parts of the RS and SC shores, rough seas and continued guidance to avoid flooded areas and exposed structures.