The biggest landslide event in Brazil: preliminary analysis of the Rio Grande do Sul mega disaster in May 2024
Abstract An unprecedented precipitation event in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, between April and May 2024 caused widespread floods and landslides. This extreme event impacted 96% of the state’s municipalities, affecting approximately 2.4 million people and resulting in 183 deaths. This article reports the magnitude of this extreme event, focusing on the preliminary results of a comprehensive landslide inventory. Our analysis revealed that this event triggered 15,376 landslides across approximately 18,000 km 2 , with 16,862 landslide initiation points. This event represents the largest landslide occurrence ever recorded in Brazil, measured by quantity. This study provides a scientific analysis of the event’s scale, spatial distribution and the associated topographic, environmental and infrastructural conditions.
Authors
- Eduardo Guimarães Barboza (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2107-6904)
- Pâmela Boelter Herrmann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9049-3141)
- Washington Peres Núñez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8259-1622)
- Maria Luiza Corrêa da Câmara Rosa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1963-4842)
- Édipo Henrique Cremon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3174-7273)
- Mateus da Silva Reis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4025-609X)
- Cassiana Roberta Lizzoni Michelin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6885-2432)
- Andrea Lopes Iescheck (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8390-435X)
- Sergio Mauricio Molano Cárdenas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3968-8055)
- Lauren da Cunha Duarte (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5690-0794)
- Clódis de Oliveira Andrades Filho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8050-6719)
- Ruy Paulo Philipp (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2875-0914)
- Renata Pacheco Quevedo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7528-9166)
- Renato Ribeiro Mendonça (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1038-7698)
- Laurindo Antônio Guasselli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8300-846X)
- Victor Soares (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2868-5389)
- Nelson Luiz Sambaqui Grüber (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1169-0185)
- Clóvis Gonzatti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2859-7115)
- M. Silva
- Bárbara Maria Giaccom Ribeiro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0411-3339)
- Mirian Ribeiro
- Antônio Pedro Viero (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6957-7938)
- Marciano Carneiro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4436-1935)
- Francisco Diniz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6770-430X)
- Claúdia Robbi Sluter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6765-9526)
- Luana Daniela da Silva Peres (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8765-0244)
- Luiz Antônio Bressani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3514-8254)
- Guilherme Garcia de Oliveira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4197-5704)
- João Igor Oliveira Dorneles
- Michelle Cardoso da Silva
- Beatriz da Rosa Cargnin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1675-839X)
- D.C. Santos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6633-9873)
- Lorenzo Fossa Sampaio Mexias
- Raul Gick Schumacher (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5746-6563)
- Lucca Belle Mevel
- José Antônio Cacciatore (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2747-1760)
- Felipe de Medeiros Jacques
- Leandro Petry
- Gabriel Schwarzer
- Kleverson Ribeiro Novakoski
Institutions
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (BR)
- Institute for Urban and Regional Research (AT)
- Ministry of the Environment (BR)
- Instituto Federal de Goiás (BR)
- Secretaria do Meio Ambiente (BR)
- Instituto Geológico (BR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Landslides
- Published
- 2025-08-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-025-02587-8
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Landslides and related hazards
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 7.27
Funders
- Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
- Universität Wien
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency