Brazil's Santa Catarina Orders Statewide School Closures After Deadly Storms

A storm-related death was confirmed in Rio Negrinho, in Brazil's Santa Catarina state, as severe storms, strong winds and tornadoes left damage in 98 municipalities and pushed 23 cities to declare a state of emergency. Santa Catarina's state government reported the death and the escalation in a bulletin issued at 8:58 p.m. local time Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, as Gov. Jorginho Mello visited the state's Civil Defense center to review the response.

The damage is concentrated in five regions of the state, the Grande Oeste, Meio-Oeste, Planalto Norte, Planalto Serrano and Vale do Itajaí, where 4,796 homes have been affected, 56 people have been left homeless and 208 have been displaced, the state government said, a tally confirmed independently by the Brazilian outlet ND Mais. Nine municipalities have asked the state for roofing material, and nearly R$2.9 million worth of roofing tiles have been sent, Mello said.

"We have displaced people, people left homeless and, unfortunately, one death, which happened in Rio Negrinho," Mello said. "We remain alert to avoid further losses and to help everyone who needs it."

The storms also prompted a statewide school closure. "We have a responsibility to receive students with a safe school, without wires or a broken pole in the street, so to avoid a bigger problem we suspended classes today and tomorrow," Mello said Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, referring to classes that day and Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.

The number of municipalities declaring emergencies may still grow, said Fabiano de Souza, the state's secretary for Protection and Civil Defense, speaking Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. "The events happened today, so many municipalities are still carrying out damage surveys to check whether they meet the threshold for declaring a state of emergency," he said Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026.