Flooding in southern Brazil leaves at least 31 dead and 2,300 homeless

By WESLEY SANTOS and DIANE JEANTET
Associated Press

MUCUM, Brazil (AP) — Flooding from a cyclone in southern Brazil has washed away houses, trapped motorists in vehicles and swamped streets in several cities. Authorities say the storm has left at least 31 people dead and 2,300 people homeless. Video clips shot by rescuers have shown families pleading for help from rooftops. More than 60 cities have been battered by the storm since Monday night. Rio Grande do Sul state Gov. Eduardo Leite says the death toll is the state’s highest from a climate event. Many victims were in houses that were washed away, trapped in cars or shocked by electrical wires.