Guaíba, Brazil — A powerful storm with severe winds has toppled a 24‑metre‑tall Statue of Liberty replica outside a Havan megastore in southern Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul, leaving the landmark in ruins but causing no reported injuries.
On Monday afternoon, the storm front swept across the city of Guaíba, unleashing gusts exceeding 80–90 km/h that forced the towering statue to lean and eventually crash to the ground. Dramatic footage shared on social platforms showed the iconic figure bending under the force of the wind before its collapse, highlighting the intensity of the weather system.
Municipal authorities and civil defence teams responded swiftly, securing the area around the fallen statue and ensuring public safety. Local officials said the site was quickly evacuated and cordoned off to prevent any risk to bystanders. “We monitored conditions closely and acted swiftly to safeguard residents,” Guaíba Mayor Marcelo Maranata said in a statement.
The replica, installed in 2020 at the Havan store’s parking lot, had become a recognizable landmark in the region, attracting customers and visitors alike. While this incident did not result in injuries, it has highlighted concerns about structural resilience amid increasingly unpredictable weather patterns in southern Brazil.
The storm that brought down the statue was part of a wider weather disturbance affecting multiple municipalities across Rio Grande do Sul, with reports of wind damage, localized flooding, and interrupted traffic. This follows recent extreme weather events in the region that have tested emergency services and disaster preparedness.
Increased storm activity has also been felt elsewhere; for instance, residents in Pakistan recently experienced a moderate earthquake that was widely felt across Karachi and Balochistan, highlighting the global nature of sudden natural events and the importance of rapid emergency response systems.
As cleanup begins in Guaíba, authorities are reviewing weather warnings and infrastructure plans to better withstand such intense winds moving forward.
