Floods bring havoc to households in southern Brazil

STORY: According to flood victim Alan Cesar Borati, locals tried to prevent damage to their belongings by moving them to higher areas of the city and by lifting things up at home, but water rose above the 2 ft (65 cm) height they were expecting.

"This flood was 5.2 ft (1.6 meters), so we couldn't do anything," he told Reuters.

The Civilian Protection team declared a state of emergency and the local government set up a crisis committee to manage the situation.

Devastating floods are common across Brazil at this time of the year.