Deadly storms claim 100 lives, damage 100,000 homes in south Brazil

SAO PAULO, May 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 100 people have died and nearly 100,000 homes have been destroyed or significantly damaged from more than a week of record rainfall and flooding in south Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state, local authorities said on Wednesday.

The National Confederation of Municipalities said in an update that overflowing rivers and floods in the state have affected around 1.45 million people and forced some 200,000 residents to flee their homes.