Five injured, 26,800 people affected and 1,500 homes damaged: tornadoes leave damage in RS

Two tornadoes were confirmed by the State Civil Defense, which reported the data in a report to the press. Hail, gales and intense rain are also among the records listed by the agency.

Also this Sunday, a flood alert was issued for the Uruguay River, with a high risk in São Borja, in the Campanha region.

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 Saturday.

Five homes were completely destroyed by the wind. The municipal Civil Defense is surveying the other houses that suffered damage, mainly to the roofs.

Earlier, Civil Defense had checked the tornado that hit the city of Santo Augusto, in the Northwest Region of the state. The force of the wind blew down around 100 houses and left one man injured. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment and has since been discharged.

With the two on Saturday, RS reaches 3 confirmed tornadoes this week. The first hit the cities of Erval Grande, Itatiba do Sul and Barra do Rio Azul, in the North of Rio Grande do Sul, on Wednesday morning (4). Since Monday (2), the Southern Region of Brazil has had seven tornadoes: three in RS, three in Santa Catarina and one in Paraná.

Saturday morning was marked by storms with wind and hail, which left damage in cities in different regions of the state. At least two people were injured. The second victim was a person who suffered minor injuries after a tree fell on the vehicle she was driving, in Bento Gonçalves, Serra.

Bento Gonçalves recorded damage to homes caused by large hailstones. In the early hours of the day, residents formed lines in front of the Fire Department headquarters to remove tarpaulins.

According to Bento Gonçalves city hall, the incidents were recorded mainly in the northern part of the municipality. More than 500 services were carried out and, by early morning, more than 350 residents were looking for tarpaulins.

Also in Serra, the city of Caxias do Sul was hit and four homes suffered damage. In Canela, residents reported hail around 4am. The city hall reported that it received a call due to the wind. In the town of Tubiana, in the interior of the municipality, trees fell and a shed was roofed.

In São Borja, on the Western Border, heavy rain caused flooding, roofing and road blockages. The rise of the Uruguay River led to new departures of residents from areas affected by the floods. Families who had returned home just over a week ago had to leave their properties again.