Santa Catarina Floods Deepen as Authorities Renew High-Risk Storm Alerts

Overview

• State civil defense and INMET extended high-severity warnings through the night into Wednesday for the coast, Vale do Itajaí and Grande Florianópolis, citing very high risk of floods, enxurradas and slides.
• Florianópolis measured 121 mm in three hours on Monday and 185 mm in 24 hours, volumes near or above typical monthly averages.
• Roads were shut by flooding, including the right lane at km 42 of the Contorno Viário and the marginal at km 214.5 of BR-101 in Palhoça, according to the federal highway police.
• Infrastructure damage mounted, with the Central Terminal in Florianópolis flooded and a stretch of road in Joinville collapsing and remaining interdicted for repairs.
• Ongoing impacts included evacuations in smaller towns, five municipal emergency decrees and closed dam gates in the Vale do Itajaí to stabilize rivers, while reports so far indicate no fatalities and power outages affecting about 50,000 properties in the capital.