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The death toll from heavy rains that have caused flooding in Brazil's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to at least 100, local authorities said on Wednesday.
Nearly 100,000 homes have been destroyed or significantly damaged from more than a week of record rainfall and flooding in the state, according to the authorities.
The National Confederation of Municipalities said in an update that overflowing rivers and floods in the state have affected around 1.45 million people and forced some 200,000 residents to flee their homes.
Based on data from the Civil Defense agency, some 99,800 residences of all types have sustained either total or partial damage since the state's worst weather-related disaster hit on April 29, according to the confederation.
As many as 414 of 497 towns in the state, a top agricultural and livestock producer that borders Argentina and Uruguay, have suffered from the storms and declared emergencies, reports Xinhua.
The confederation estimates the economic losses at 4.6 billion reals (about 904 million US dollars), taking into account the damage to housing and public infrastructure, as well as agriculture, livestock, industry, commerce and services.
In just one week, Rio Grande do Sul saw five months' worth of rain, sparking unprecedented flooding.