- Authorities in Brazil's southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, said Friday that at least 37 people have died — and 74 are missing — after record-breaking flooding devastated cities statewide in the fourth such environmental disaster in a year. Associated Press (LR: 3 CP: 5)
- On Thursday, a hydroelectric dam collapsed and caused further damage in the flooded areas. Thousands were forced to leave their homes, and at least half a million people were without power and drinking water across the state. BBC News (LR: 3 CP: 5)
- This comes as torrential rains of nearly a half-foot (15 cm) per day have hit the region since Monday, leaving multiple rivers at flood stage. FOX Weather
- According to the National Institute of Meteorology, in the last four days of April, the state received about 70% of the precipitation it usually records for the entire month. New York Times (LR: 2 CP: 5)
- Gov. Eduardo Leite declared a state of emergency Thursday, adding that the state is currently dealing with its worst disaster ever. Storm damage has affected nearly 150 municipalities, destroyed bridges, and blocked roads. Dw.Com
- The Brazilian federal government has offered aircraft, boats, vehicles, as well as hundreds of soldiers to help clear roads, distribute basic goods, and set up shelters. Al Jazeera (LR: 2 CP: 1)
Narrative A:
- Increasingly, severe rainstorms and flooding are being linked to global warming and climate change. Warmer weather allows air to retain more water vapor, which is why we must implement policies to cool the global temperature to save lives and billions of dollars in damage.
THE CONVERSATION (LR: 2 CP: 3)
Narrative B:
- It's easy to dismiss extreme weather events as a consequence of climate change, but in reality, they're usually influenced by a myriad of factors. More research is needed before we can establish any direct causal link between the two.
FT
Nerd narrative:
- There's a 95% chance that there will be at least 2˚C of global warming by Jan. 1, 2100, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
METACULUS (LR: 3 CP: 3)