Storms affect 152,000 people in S Brazil
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The storms hitting Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina have destroyed 1,724 houses and affected 152,000 people since last Thursday, local authorities said Tuesday.
There have been no casualties reported so far, but about 5,900 people had to leave their homes due to floods and mudslides. Most of them now lived in friends' or relatives' houses, while 600 were in public shelters, the local Civil Defense Services said in a report released Tuesday afternoon.
Twenty-four municipalities have declared state of emergency, as transportation services in many towns were damaged, with some highways blocked by mudslides. Several areas were left without electricity and water.
The storms in Santa Catarina state were forecast to last until Wednesday, with local temperatures down to 10 degrees Celsius.
Brazil has been suffering from heavy storms since last summer. In Sao Paulo's metro area, it rained for over a month in January, causing floods that killed 69 people.
In Rio, a strong storm in early April caused floods and mudslides, killing 153 and leaving at least 10,800 homeless.
