City of RS declares emergency after tornado leaves one person injured, affects 480 people and damages 120 homes

The city hall of Santo Augusto, in the northwest of Rio Grande do Sul, declared an emergency situation following the passage of a tornado that hit the municipality in the early hours of Saturday (7), at around 1:15 am.

Around 480 people were affected and 120 homes suffered damage, according to a Civil Defense survey.

The force of the winds uprooted trees, toppled poles and damaged the power grid. This Monday (9), part of the population is still without energy supply. The Glória neighborhood is one of the hardest hit, with houses condemned by Civil Defense due to structural damage.

A man was injured during the tornado, received medical treatment and has since been released. Another 12 residents had to leave their homes and were sheltered in relatives' homes or included in the social rental program.

Since Saturday, teams have been working to survey the damage and provide assistance to those affected. Mayor Lilian Fontoura Depiere states that the current focus is on cleaning and helping families.

"We are working to restore the city, clean it up, help people in their homes. And we tell the community that whoever needs it, that we still haven't managed to reach everyone, can look for us at Social Assistance", says the mayor.

Two tornadoes on the same day

Also on Saturday (7), Civil Defense confirmed a second tornado in the state. According to analysis by the Monitoring Center, the phenomenon reached the interior of the municipality of Palmeira das Missões, in the North of Rio Grande do Sul, in the early hours of the morning. Five homes were completely destroyed by the wind.