(Bloomberg) — Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and key cabinet members visited the country's south, where record-breaking floods have shut down a main airport and submerged neighborhoods, leaving dozens dead and many others missing. Heavy rains over the state of Rio Grande do Sul caused main rivers to overflow, straining dams and displacing more than 88,000 people in more than 330 municipalities. At least 75 have died and 103 are missing, according to the official report released May 5, 2024. Several neighborhoods of Porto Alegre, the most populated city in the region, are underwater and its international airport announced on May 3 that it would close for an undetermined amount of time. Companies that had announced they were suspending activities due to the heavy rains are resuming their normal work. Landing in Rio Grande do Sul for the second time this week, President Lula was to meet with state Governor Eduardo Leite, according to social media posts. Leite is calling for federal aid to rebuild the infrastructure of his region, saying the effort needed compares to the billions of dollars spent by the U.S. government after World War II. President Lula toured the flooded areas and held a press conference surrounded by several members of his cabinet, including Finance Minister Fernando Haddad and Chief of Staff Rui Costa, along with leaders of congress and members of the country's justice courts. "This is a very important state in Brazil," said Lula, who pledged federal aid to rebuild roads. Rio Grande do Sul is one of the key states for agriculture, a main driver for the country's better than expected economic performance last year. This is the fourth wave of extreme weather Rio Grande do Sul has faced in less than a year. Experts say the floods are the worst in 80 years, surpassing those of 1941, when rains continued for more than 30 straight days. Some municipalities are facing heavier rains than last September, when 54 died people and damage spread across 40 cities along the Taquari River. Related: |

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