Porto Alegre (RS) – The Commander of the Army, General Tomás, was in the areas affected by the floods in the Taquari Valley in Rio Grande do Sul on Tuesday (12/09). In Lajeado, he went to the base of the Taquari Operation Coordination and Control Centre, where a command post for the 8th Motorized Infantry Brigade had been set up.
Accompanied by the Southern Military Commander, General Hertz, and the Commander of the 6th Army Division, General Baltieri, he visited the Field Hospital in Roca Sales. There, he spoke with the military personnel who provide medical care, with representatives of the SUS National Force and also with the region’s public security forces. The Commander also checked out the structure set up to receive the donated supplies.
“We are saddened to see the people suffering so much, because there is so much destruction. There is a great need for synergy so that we can help mitigate the community’s problems. And in this respect, the Army is one of our partners,” he said.
The delegation also flew over the municipality of Muçum. On the ground, troops from the 4th Engineering Group are supporting the community. In total, more than 6,000 cubic meters of debris, corresponding to 500 buckets, have already been removed from the streets of the cities in the Taquari Valley. Army Engineering continues to work tirelessly on behalf of the population.
Tuesday continued with the cleaning of streets and homes, as well as the removal of mud and debris from the roads, using backhoes, bulldozers and dump trucks.
Truck driver Vilmar Eveiro thanked the military for their help. “The Army is giving the greatest support, delivering basic food baskets, water, food, always giving support. A 10 for the Army personnel. This (what they’re doing) is speechless,” he said.
On the Taquari River, the Engineering troops used boats to carry out the transposition of power cables from one bank to the other.
“This work was coordinated with Civil Defense, at the request of the electricity company. We promptly supported them and made this crossing so that the power supply could return to normal in the towns affected by the flood,” explained the Commander of the 4th Engineering Group, General Santos.
From the Taquari Valley, the Commander’s entourage went to BR 116, where the highway is being duplicated. It passed by the quarry, the asphalt plant, the laboratory and the sites that produce gravel for the work. Military personnel from the Guaíba Detachment were also involved in the operation in the Taquari Valley.
The Brazilian Navy is also working in the region with river boats. On land, the sailors delivered 716 meals to the Moinhos, das Indústrias and Oriental neighborhoods, and to the Martin Luther Gymnasium in the city of Estrela. In addition, the Navy continues to deploy aircraft in aerial searches for victims of the rains and in the transportation of materials, supplies and people in need of emergency medical care.
The Army Commander expressed his regret at the tragedy. “Solidarity with all the people of the affected region of the Taquari Valley. We are very sorry for what has happened. The Commander also highlighted the military’s commitment to supporting the population of Rio Grande do Sul. “The Army’s presence here is evidence of our efforts. When these situations happen, we need to work synergistically. We have more than 900 men on site, helping with all the tasks demanded by Civil Defense. This will certainly help to alleviate some of the suffering of those affected by this disaster.”
Army continues to support power reconnection in Muçum (RS)
Muçum (RS) – On September 11, troops from the 6th Combat Engineering Battalion (6th BECmb), “Tenente-Coronel Jose Carlos de Carvalho Battalion”, continued to support the work of the RGE utility company to restore the electricity connection in the Linha Alegre district of Muçum.
The completion of the work will provide power to more than 700 homes. The operation consisted of launching steel cables across the Taquari River, using pneumatic dinghies, to make the work of the RGE electricity company possible.
The method used by the 6th BECmb, launching a guide cable, is intended for anchoring floating aluminum walkways (bridges intended for troops on foot) and bridges. Likewise, the Battalion’s troops have continued to deliver donations to the victims of the tragedy since the start of the Operation.
In this way, the 6th Combat Engineering Battalion is extending its Helping Hand to the inhabitants of the Taquari Valley, using techniques, tactics and procedures typical of the Engineering weapon.
Southern Joint Command has more than 800 military personnel to help cyclone victims in Rio Grande do Sul
Brasília (DF) – The Army, together with the Brazilian Navy and Air Force, is continuing its support for the population affected by an extratropical cyclone in the Taquari Valley, in Rio Grande do Sul. Formed by the three forces in support of Civil Defense, the Southern Joint Command is working on searches, evacuations, transporting the homeless and supplies, and various other actions. Under the command of the Brazilian Army, 829 military personnel are being deployed; 54 transport vehicles; 30 specialized vehicles and engineering equipment; 10 boats; nine helicopters; three ambulances; 25 tents; and four cisterns.
On Sunday morning, 10, soldiers from the Joint Command began setting up a SUS field hospital in the municipality of Roca Sales, where doctors from the Armed Forces are working. The troops are working in Alegrete, Arroio Grande, Arroio do Meio, Cruzeiro do Sul, Encantado, Estrela, Jaguarão, Lajeado, Montenegro, Muçum, Pedro Osório, Porto Alegre, Pelotas, Roca Sales, Santa Tereza, Vale do Rio Taquari and Venâncio Aires.
Operation Taquari
According to the Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul, 79 municipalities were affected by the cyclone, which left more than 1,600 people homeless, 3,000 displaced and more than 52,000 affected in some way. On Monday 4th, the Brazilian Army went into a state of readiness. Based on the lessons learned from June’s extratropical cyclone, an Operations Center was activated at the Southern Military Command Headquarters in Porto Alegre, kicking off “Operation Taquari”. Troops from the Navy, Army and Air Force were deployed to respond to calls for support.
The Armed Forces are working on searching for and rescuing victims; aeromedical evacuations; transporting teams and homeless people; distributing donated clothing and food; distributing drinking water; supplying food to firefighting teams in the field; setting up tents; clearing roads; damage control; medical support and installing internet communication systems.
*** Translated by DEFCONPress FYI Team ***