Storm causes destruction in Maringá and mayor declares public calamity

A strong storm in Maringá, in the northwest of the Paraná, left a scenario of destruction in the early hours of Monday (2), the holiday of the dead. Trees were uprooted, poles fell, buildings were damaged and important avenues were compromised by traffic. Given the gravity of the situation, Mayor Silvio Barros announced a decree of public calamity and made an appeal for solidarity and reinforcement in attending to the occurrences.

In a video recorded on Paranavaí Avenue, the mayor showed some of the damage caused by the storm and classified the situation faced by the municipality as a real war scenario.

"People, I'm here on Paranavaí Avenue. Take a look at this. This is all gone here,” said Silvio Barros, who showed the damage.

The mayor said he traveled through different regions of the city and found a critical situation in several neighborhoods and avenues, including Avenida Colombo, one of the main road corridors of Maringá.

"We are making the emergency decree, because the situation was a climate of war throughout the city," he said.

Even the fire station was hit by the storm

One of the most disturbing episodes reported by the mayor occurred in the headquarters of the Fire Department, which also suffered damage during the storm.

According to Silvio Barros, the structure had the roof torn by the winds. Tiles were thrown over vehicles and trees fell inside the barracks, making it difficult for emergency teams to exit.

The mayor explained that one of the first measures was to free up the necessary accesses so that the Fire Department and the Paranaense Energy Company (Copel) could act in attending to the population.

The situation aggravated the challenges faced by the rescue teams, precisely when several points in the city needed immediate attention.

Maringá records nearly 50 millimeters of rain

According to information from the Paraná Environmental Technology and Monitoring System (Simepar), Maringá recorded 49.8 millimeters of rain between midnight and 7 am on Monday. The wind gusts reached 40 km/h.

In addition to Paranavaí Avenue, damage was recorded on Colombo Avenues, Brazil, Tiradentes and Tuiuti. The fall of trees and poles caused blockages and damage to vehicles and real estate.

Teams from the Secretariat of Infrastructure, the Secretariat of Urban Cleanup and Defesa Civil were mobilized to remove trees, clear pathways and provide care in the affected regions.

The City Council is still carrying out the lifting of the damage caused by the storm.

Mayor calls for solidarity and reinforcement of the teams

During the speech, Silvio Barros highlighted that the municipal servants have been working since dawn, but stressed the need for additional support to face the consequences of the storm.

"Our team has been working since early morning, but we need immediate reinforcement, solidarity, cooperation and, most importantly, to re-establish communications as soon as possible," he said.

The public calamity decree seeks to facilitate the adoption of emergency measures, including hiring and mobilizing resources to recover the affected sites.

At the end of the video, the mayor made a direct appeal to the population: "Now, people, it's time for solidarity."

Care during recovery work

The City Council advises residents not to try to remove fallen trees or branches, especially when they are near electrical power wires.

Removal requests can be registered by Ombudsman 156. Incidents involving broken wires or damaged poles should be reported to Copel.

The storm also hit other cities of the Paraná, increasing the mobilization of the emergency teams and Defesa Civil.

The Portal BnT Online tracks the unfolding of the situation in Maringá and the consequences of heavy rains in different regions of the state.