Extratropical cyclone causes destruction mainly in the municipality of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu; 60 thousand homes are without power
The government reported that, as of early this Saturday afternoon (8), 750 people were treated in health units in the state as a result of the passage of a tornado through cities in Paraná. The phenomenon caused the death of six people. The hardest hit municipality was , which is around 400 kilometers from Curitiba. Data from the Civil Defense of Paraná estimate that up to 90% of the city’s urban area was affected. According to official information, most of the injured were treated in two hospital units, a basic health unit (UBS) and a college in Laranjeiras do Sul.
More serious cases are being referred to the Cascavel University Hospital and the Guarapuava Regional Hospital. Four people needed surgery. In Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, “the health structures are all collapsed”, said the Secretary of Health of Paraná, Beto Preto. According to the manager, only one health center in the city is open. “A large movement from surrounding city halls created a task force to keep it running,” added the secretary.
Tornado
The weather phenomenon hit the Central-South region of Paraná on Friday night and was classified as a category F3 tornado, with winds of up to 250 kilometers per hour, according to the Paraná Environmental Technology and Monitoring System (Simepar). The governor of Paraná, Ratinho Jr., went to the city early in the morning. In addition to efforts to care for the homeless and injured, he announced a partnership with the Regional Council of Engineering and Agronomy (Crea) to speed up the survey of damage and anticipate efforts to rebuild, mainly houses.
The total number of homeless people has not yet been calculated by the authorities. Until early morning, however, Civil Defense estimated 10,000 people impacted by the winds, with 28 homeless and 1,000 displaced. “Now we are going to carry out this survey so that we can help them in some way, whether with lines of credit, support for reconstruction or to cover losses in various sectors. The city is practically destroyed, which makes it impossible to carry out a detailed survey at this time”, said the mayor of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, Sezar Augusto Bovino.
The president announced the immediate dispatch of National Civil Defense teams specialized in the work of welcoming victims and reconstruction. The federal delegation is led by the Minister of Institutional Relations, Gleisi Hoffmann, who will monitor the work on site.
The Ministry of Health sent a team from the SUS National Force to the municipality of Paraná. The team is made up of five specialized professionals, including a specialist in mental health in disasters, a public health doctor, a nurse, a logistics resources analyst and an incident and assistance reconstruction analyst.
The professionals will work to reactivate health services, support local management and provide an immediate care and psychosocial response, ensuring the safe and rapid resumption of comprehensive care for the affected population.
The expectation for the next few days is that a mass of cold air will bring down temperatures in Paraná and Santa Catarina. In Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, the epicenter of the tornado, the temperature is expected to fluctuate between 13 and 22 degrees Celsius (°C) this Saturday (8), but the minimum measurement could reach 11°C on Sunday (9).
*With information from Agência Brasil
