Statue of Liberty Replica Collapses in Southern Brazil After Powerful Storm; Video Goes Viral
Strong winds from a severe storm toppled a 24-metre Statue of Liberty replica outside a Havan store in southern Brazil; no injuries reported.
Statue of Liberty replica collapses outside Havan store in Guaiba, Brazil, after powerful storm winds
On Tuesday, December 15, a mighty tempest struck the southern part of Brazil, and one of the victims of it was a 24-meter replica of Lady Liberty that was outside a Havan megastore in Guaiba, Rio Grande do Sul, and it was blown over. The breathtaking pictures of the statue's descent went viral on social networks, and thus, quite quickly, became a subject of concern all over the globe.
The Brazilian government's disaster management agency by the name of Defesa Civil disclosed that during the storm, wind speeds had increased to 90 km/h. The giant sculpture had been erected in 2020 on a base made of concrete that was 11 meters high and at intervals had tilted until finally falling down in a heap in the parking lot of the store.The base was reported to be intact.
Due to the prompt response of the store personnel and passersby—who had cleared the area just before the fall—there were no injuries or damages to cars reported.
Mayor and Retailer Issue Statements
Marcelo Maranata, the Guaiba Mayor, made the incident public through social media, saying that the wind gusts were from 80 to 90 km/h. He gave credit to the emergency measures for the prevention of casualties. Havan, the retail company that owns the building, stated that the area was secured right after the safety steps were taken, and the removal of the debris started almost at the same time.Store operations continued uninterrupted.
The company also stated that all of its Statue of Liberty replicas across Brazil are built according to certified engineering standards. However, an internal investigation has been launched to determine why the structure failed under extreme weather conditions.
Emergency Alerts and Widespread Impact
When the cold front advanced over the region, the heat wave that had been affecting Rio Grande do Sul for a long time caused the conditions to be so favorable to the development of the storm which in turn blew extremely strong winds and covered the area with thick clouds. The emergency services alerted the residents through their mobile phones and warned them about the strong wind, falling buildings, and the necessity to stay indoors.
Moreover, some other areas got affected too. Uncle Hugo witnessed the hailstorms, roofs in Passo Fundo, Santa Cruz do Sul, and Vera Cruz were ruined, and heavy rains caused Lajeado to suffer from local flooding. Officials said that no major power cuts occurred and the cleanup of garbage was done by the municipal teams.
Not the First Incident
Havan’s oversized Statue of Liberty replicas are a signature feature of its stores nationwide. Though built to endure typical weather, the sculptures encountered difficulties with extreme events already at their back. A replica tumbled down in Capao da Canoa during a cyclone with 70–80 km/h winds in 2021, but only material damage was incurred.
The aforementioned incident in Guaiba led the engineering teams to inspect the structures thoroughly with the intention of finding possible weak points. The authorities, besides that, have repeated the call for the public to keep away from high constructions during the storms, emphasizing that the early warnings and quick actions were the factors that made the situation not worse.
