Buenos Aires Herald 
The severe flooding in southern Brazil has reached Argentina and Uruguay, with rivers overflowing their banks. In the town of Concordia, Entre Ríos province, over 500 people have been evacuated.
The authorities in Entre Ríos have activated emergency protocols and begun rescue operations. The Uruguay River is wreaking havoc on both banks due to the rains in southern Brazil and the overflow of the Guaíba River.
Up to 547 people, including 122 minors, were evacuated in Concordia due to the rise of the Uruguay River, according to the local authorities.
The Uruguay River is expected to reach a depth of 14 meters in Concordia on Monday. Authorities expect the volume to increase over the next three days, as rains in Brazil continue.
Concordia municipal government is asking residents to stay in contact with the authorities. Over the past few days, the waters have begun to affect streets and homes, especially in the Nobel and Vélez Sarsfield neighborhoods.
Francisco Azcué, mayor of Concordia, said on Monday morning that the situation was very difficult, but added that the municipality has “the technical capacity and human resources” to deal with the serious floods.
“There are a series of variables that influence the flow of water coming from the north,” Azcué told Radio Mitre. “We have the Salto Grande dam a few kilometers away, and it contains the water up to a certain limit. But there comes a point when it can’t contain the water and has to conduct maneuvers so that the opening of the gates and the flow of water coming out of the dam impacts us as little as possible.”
The dam’s operations give the city a “margin of predictability,” he added.
The riverside cities of Santo Tomé and Paso de los Libres in Corrientes province are also feeling the effects of the downpours. The waterways surpassed the evacuation threshold in both cities, and several families had to leave their homes as a precaution.
According to the latest update from Santo Tomé Civil Defense, the river was rising by one centimeter per hour.
By Sunday afternoon, 191 people had been evacuated, including 80 minors.
Image: Evacuees ride in a loader after their homes were flooded at Eldorado do Sul, in Rio Grande do Sul Brazil May 7, 2024. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli
