Porto Alegre (RS) – More than 400 military personnel are mobilized to assist the municipalities most affected by the passage of an extratropical cyclone in the Taquari Valley, in Rio Grande do Sul. According to the state Civil Defense, 79 municipalities have been affected, with more than 1,600 people left homeless, 3,000 displaced and more than 52,000 affected in some way. The death toll is now over 40.
Also on Monday, 4, the Brazilian Army went on standby. Based on the lessons learned from June’s extratropical cyclone, an Operations Center was activated at the Southern Military Command headquarters in Porto Alegre (RS), initiating “Operation Taquari”. Troops from the Navy, Army and Air Force were activated to respond to calls for support.
In response to a request from the State Health Department, the Army has sent nine doctors to work in pre-hospital emergency care with the State Regulation Department. Search and rescue work and transport assistance are being carried out in coordination with Civil Defense. Engineering materials and equipment, vehicles, water tanks, ambulances, motorboats, generators, canopies, trucks and aircraft are being used.
The military of the Armed Forces are also supplying food (operational rations) to the firefighters and other agencies working to help the flood victims. Also as part of the support, communications battalions began installing satellite phones on September 7 to help the population in the municipalities of Muçum and Roca Sales. The military also provide internet access devices, helping the agencies working in the area.
The troops also work at the Civil Defense Distribution Center in Rio Grande do Sul, sorting clothes and food sent to the homeless, mainly in the Taquari Valley region.
