Porto Alegre, a state capital in southern Brazil, is preparing for the imminent return of El Niño, a naturally occurring phenomenon aggravated by the climate crisis. Meteorologists announced last month that El Niño is likely to cause extreme rainfall and flooding in the region, with its peak expected between December and February.
This comes two years after a devastating flood in May 2024 killed 183 people in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and displaced over 600,000. The Sarandi neighbourhood of Porto Alegre was particularly hard-hit, with water levels reaching up to 5 metres above normal.
While the city has undertaken some repairs, including floodgate maintenance and dyke reconstruction, community leaders and residents express concerns about incomplete flood protection systems and a lack of clear evacuation plans. The Porto Alegre administration is currently being sued for failures in the 2024 flood protection system.
Last month, the first storms caused by the latest El Niño arrived in Rio Grande do Sul, disrupting the region and leaving 1,800 people homeless due to rising river levels. The state government has launched an emergency initiative, Prepara RS, transferring 32.3m reais to 138 municipalities.