At least 108 people have died due to the heavy rains that have hit southern Brazil in recent days. Of these, 107 were registered in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, and another in the neighboring state of Santa Catarina, also due to the bad weather that has ravaged the region. According to the authorities of Rio Grande do Sul, cited by the Lusa agency, there are 136 people missing and 374 people injured due to the floods, which directly affect about 1.5 million people and more than 80% of the state's territory. Notícias ao Minuto spoke with a resident of the city of Porto Alegre, capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, where the lack of water and the scarcity of essential goods in the markets is a daily challenge, as well as the fear of looting and an increase in violence on the streets, in case the city's electrical grid fails. "The water "took over the city in a way that no one has ever seen before" Aline Krenzinger, 40, lives in the Petrópolis neighborhood, in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, and reports a long list of concerns about the floods that hit the city, where several of her relatives also live. "The water "took over the city in a way that no one has ever seen before", she said, referring to the fact that several friends had to abandon their homes in the city center. "Porto Alegre was flooded from below, the sewers started to burst, the drains started to burst, so the water started to rise a lot", she explained. It was when she volunteered to help rescue teams that she really "got scared". "You are practically stranded. You look ahead, there is water, you look to the side, there is water, and you have nowhere to go", she commented. Aline also revealed that of the 23 water drainage stations that Porto Alegre has, only four are working, "so 90% of the city is without water". "The local government issued an alert for people to ration water because it would run out, this caused a panic in the situation", she continued. When the first alerts began to emerge that the water level of the Guaíba River - which bathes the city - would rise intensively, Aline went to a market to buy water and essential goods, "but what was seen was as if it were the beginning of the pandemic, in 2020". "You could see a lot of people taking carts and carts full of water and toilet paper. There was a lack of a sense of community, because many people need water and have nowhere to buy it", she lamented, assuring that, currently, "you can't find mineral water to buy" in the markets. "When there is a cancellation of an online purchase, the water returns to the supermarket shelf and "runs out in minutes" "It has become a luxury product, because it is not available. There are people who live in buildings and do not even have a water tank, they depend on mineral water to drink, to cook, and they don't have it", she added, detailing unusual situations: "When there is a cancellation of an online purchase, the water returns to the supermarket shelf and "runs out in minutes". Water everywhere and fear of... looting In addition to concerns about the lack of water and flooding, Aline lists another danger that is currently being faced on the streets of Porto Alegre: the fear of looting, in case the city's electrical grid fails, causing its citizens to be left in the dark and alarm systems to stop working. "Today [Thursday], my father called me and said that he will continue there because he is afraid of looting. "If the water invades a place, they have to turn off the power so there are no problems. But looting is starting to happen, people are taking advantage and looting properties, stores... so that's the big fear", she said. "If there is no light, we will leave, because it will become chaos. There will be a lot of looting, a lot of robberies. The police are mobilized for the rescues, so there is no way to take care of it" In the same vein, comes the fear of the proliferation of 'fake news'. "The point that I got most 'stressed' was when my uncle said that there would be a power outage in Porto Alegre, that they would turn off the power in general, because supposedly the water would reach the city's power plants. Then I got really scared, because without water and without electricity there is no way", Aline warned. The resident of Porto Alegre has, in fact, a contingency plan prepared with her sisters, who live in the same city. "If there is no light, we will leave, because it will become chaos. There will be a lot of looting, a lot of robberies. The police are mobilized for the rescues, so there is no way to take care of it". So far, however, the 'threat' has not been fulfilled, but the bags are packed, in case the lack of water is joined by the lack of electricity. But the escape can also be a nightmare in itself. For example, Aline reported on the current situation on one of the exit routes from the city, which, in a normal situation, would take one or two hours to travel. "Now, with the number of people who are leaving the city, in fear, it is taking eight, nine hours. They still run the risk of being dragged along the way", she warned, concluding: "If the power goes out... in our building, the gate would be open, anyone can enter, so that is the concern. If the power goes out, we will leave". It should be noted that authorities and volunteers continue to work hard to rescue people who are still isolated due to the high water levels and who are starting to suffer from lack of food. The heavy storm began on Monday of last week and continued in the following days, causing great damage to roads, bridges, homes and leaving a large part of the population of Rio Grande do Sul without electricity or drinking water. With 11 million inhabitants, Rio Grande do Sul has been greatly affected by climate change. Read Also: Floods in southern Brazil have already killed 108 (Portuguese version)