Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul faces economic woes after floods, and an unclear path to rebuilding

By ELÉONORE HUGHES
Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Flooding in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state ravaged nearly everything needed for economic activity, from local shops to factories, farms and ranches. The environmental catastrophe — unprecedented in state history — upended transportation, including the airport in capital Porto Alegre, which is expected to remain shuttered for months. Segments of major highways are closed due to landslides, washed-out roads and collapsed bridges. Blackouts continue to plague the state. Gov. Eduardo Leite has said Rio Grande do Sul will need a “kind of ‘Marshall Plan’ to be rebuilt,” but an exact pathway that makes storms less damaging in the future has not been determined.