SAO PAULO, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed and several others remained missing after a powerful storm hit Brazil's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, Civil Defense said Tuesday.
The storm knocked out power to more than 700,000 residents, with gale-force winds exceeding 115 km per hour and rainfall of up to 15 cm in some areas. Heavy rain, strong winds, hail, flooding and landslides have affected several parts of the state, where authorities have kept alerts in place for landslides and flooded areas.
According to the Civil Defense report, about 2,732 people have been displaced and 146 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul have reported incidents caused by the storms.
The emergency comes as Brazil remains under heightened weather monitoring amid El Nino, with above-average rainfall in the south and below-average precipitation in the north.
