Given the terrible flooding in Rio Grande do Sul, will donate 1000 terminals to emergency responders and make usage of all terminals in the region free until the region has recovered, Elon Musk has said.
“I hope the best for the people of Brazil,” he wrote in a post on X platform.
Given the terrible flooding in Rio Grande do Sul, @Starlink will donate 1000 terminals to emergency responders and make usage for all terminals in the region free until the region has recovered.
I hope the best for the people of Brazil. pic.twitter.com/NK6kjz7Iag
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 9, 2024
Authorities in southern Brazil are racing against time to rescue survivors of massive flooding that has claimed the lives of at least 100 people. Despite the risks posed by new storms, some residents are refusing to leave their belongings behind, while others are returning to evacuated homes.
The heavy rains and flooding in Rio Grande do Sul since last week have also left 130 people missing, with more than 230,000 displaced and much of the region isolated by floodwaters.
Storms are expected to hit the state on Wednesday evening, with hail and wind gusts reaching up to 60 kilometers per hour (37 mph).
The national meteorology institute has also forecasted a cold front this weekend, bringing additional rains that are expected to be particularly intense in the state’s north and east.
In Porto Alegre, about 300 people are sheltering at the local club Gremio Nautico Uniao, with volunteers providing food and other essentials. However, authorities are facing challenges in persuading residents of Eldorado do Sul, one of the worst-hit cities, to evacuate.
A flyover of Eldorado do Sul showed hundreds of submerged houses, with residents using small boards and personal watercraft to move around. The city’s mayor has stated that Eldorado do Sul will be completely evacuated.
The civil defense agency has issued an urgent warning asking displaced residents not to return to flooded areas, citing the risk of disease transmission. Army Gen. Marcelo Zucco, one of the rescue operation coordinators, has stated that the team is working at full speed ahead of the forecasted heavy rains this weekend.