Cyclone leaves at least 21 dead in southern Brazil

Torrential rain and winds caused by an extratropical cyclone have left at least 21 people dead in southern Brazil, officials said Tuesday, warning more flooding may be coming. Close to 6,000 people were forced from their homes by the storms, which started Monday, dumping hail and more than 300 millimeters of rain on the state in less than 24 hours and triggering floods and landslides.

In Mucum, a small town of 5,000 people, hundreds had to be rescued from their rooftops as the Taquari river flooded more than 85 percent of the city. Helicopters and vessels of the Civil Defense, the Federal Highway Police and the Brazilian Army have been rescuing survivors from trees and rooftops.