2023 Rio Grande do Sul floods
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 Extratropical cyclone off the coast of Brazil on September 4, 2023 | |
| Cause | Heavy rain and strong wind |
|---|---|
| Meteorological history | |
| Date | September 2023 |
| Flood | |
| Maximum rainfall | 291 mm (11.5 in) in Passo Fundo |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 47 |
| Injuries | 940 |
| Missing | 46 |
| Areas affected | Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil |
In September 2023, heavy rainfall and strong winds from an extratropical cyclone resulted in the deaths of at least 47 people in Rio Grande do Sul state of Brazil, injuries to 940 people, and $1.3 million in damage.[1][2] Flooding also impacted several municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul, including Bento Gonçalves, Caxias do Sul, Ibiraiaras, Lajeado do Bugre, Nova Bassano, Santo Expedito do Sul, and São Jorge.[3] The floods also prompted declaration of a state of emergency in the state by governor Eduardo Leite.[4]
The flooding was caused by the warming atmosphere resulting from climate change, which increases the likelihood of extreme rainfall. Global temperatures have risen by approximately 1.2 degrees Celsius since the onset of the industrial era.[5]
In 2022, torrential rain led to landslides and mudflows near the city of Recife in the country's northeast, resulting in the deaths of at least 100 people.[6] That same year, floods in Petropolis, Rio de Janeiro, killed 231 people and caused 1 billion R$ ($193.8 million USD) in damage.[7] In February 2023, flooding and landslides in Brazil's São Paulo state killed 40 people as 627 millimetres (24.7 in) of rain fell in São Sebastião.[8]