Civil Defense expands red alert and places over 100 cities at risk of cyclone

The Civil Defense issued a statement on Thursday morning extending the alert for the cyclone that will hit Santa Catarina between Friday and Saturday. According to the state agency, the West region and parts of the Serra, Vale do Itajaí, and Planalto Norte are under red alert, with a risk of severe storms. The rest of the state, consisting of Greater Florianópolis, North Coast, South Coast, and parts of the Serra, Vale do Itajaí, and Planalto Norte, is under orange alert. There is a possibility of thunderstorms with gusty winds, heavy rain, lightning, and hail. The instabilities are expected to form in the morning on Friday, in areas bordering Rio Grande do Sul, and intensify in the afternoon in the West region. By mid-afternoon to evening, the storms will reach the rest of the state, as predicted. During the storms, wind gusts can exceed 80 km/h, and rainfall can be intense in short periods of time. The risk is high to very high for occurrences associated with roofing damage, electrical network damage, falling branches and trees, flooding, and flash floods. In the early hours of Saturday, the risk of storms decreases and the wind intensifies, especially on the Coast, causing rough seas with waves up to 4.5 meters. Recommendations from Civil Defense Understand the phenomenon Santa Catarina is expected to face heavy rain and strong winds between Friday and Saturday, with the formation of a cyclone near the state’s coastline. Although common at this time of year, the proximity to the continent and the intensity of the predicted effects make this cyclone noteworthy. According to Civil Defense meteorologists and Epagri/Ciram, the cyclone will originate from a low-pressure system located on the continent, between Santa Catarina and Paraná, and will gain strength over the ocean. Cyclones that hit the state usually originate in the ocean, between Rio Grande do Sul, Uruguay, and Argentina. ‘Extratropical cyclones are very common over the ocean. This one forms over the Southern region of Brazil’s continent. That’s why it’s more unusual and impactful when it forms over the continent because it causes heavy rain, wind, lightning, and hail,’ says Marcelo Martins of Epagri. Due to the potential for damage in Santa Catarina, Civil Defense will provide daily updates on the phenomenon through official channels. Additionally, humanitarian assistance items such as tarps and support materials have been distributed to municipalities and Fire Department units throughout the state. Civil Defense also stated that teams are on standby to quickly respond if there is a need to declare a state of emergency or reinforce the distribution of humanitarian assistance items. See Civil Defense’s full statement ‘The Santa Catarina Civil Defense intensifies monitoring of meteorological conditions and the sending of alerts to the population. As a preventive measure, humanitarian assistance items such as tarps and support materials have already been distributed to municipalities and Fire Department units across the state. In addition, meetings are being held with the institutions that make up the Coordinated Actions Group (GRAC), where action guidelines are presented and response protocols are defined. Teams remain on standby to act quickly in case of an emergency declaration and to strengthen the distribution of humanitarian assistance items.’