RS: Nearly 3 remain homeless after rains.

Paula Laboissière, from Agência Brasil
The Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul reported that 2.950 people are still homeless or displaced due to the heavy rains that have been affecting the state since the end of June. Of these, 558 are in municipal shelters and 2.392 are staying with relatives and neighbors.

According to the latest bulletin, 168 municipalities were affected – 138 declared a state of emergency and two declared a state of public calamity. The storms in the region caused the death of three people in the cities of Arroio do Tigre, Jacutinga, and Cerro Grande do Sul.

On Saturday (19), President Dilma Rousseff and Governor Tarso Genro flew over the areas affected by the rains in Uruguaiana, on the western border of the state. They left the capital, Porto Alegre, at 9:15 am and arrived in the region around 10:30 am, flying over the 12 affected neighborhoods for about ten minutes.

After the overflight, the president and the governor met with mayors from the region to discuss the conditions of the population affected by the rains. Dilma stated that the federal government will take all necessary measures for the reconstruction and recovery of the affected cities.

At the meeting, Dilma explained how the federal government's assistance works in cases of natural disasters, which are divided into four areas: rescue/reception of victims; restoration of interrupted essential services (health, clearing of roads); reconstruction and prevention. The president stressed that the participation of states, municipalities and the federal government, working together in the process, is fundamental at all stages.

"Reconstruction is for conditions that have been compromised by natural disasters, whether it's flooding, landslides, or anything that alters living conditions in a region. Prevention is a very closely related action, because you can rebuild by reducing risk conditions," he said.