A weather-driven meteotsunami hit Santa Catarina around 6 a.m. Monday, flooding streets and pulling boats inland. No deaths or injuries were reported; Civil Defense data pointed to a squall line, pressure shifts and strong southerly winds—not an earthquake.
The surge hit Laguna, Jaguaruna and Imbituba. Santa Catarina Civil Defense said radar, satellite and tide-gauge readings showed an intense squall line, rapid pressure changes and southerly winds of 37–56 mph (60–90 km/h), conditions that can transfer energy to the sea and produce a fast-moving surge.
Surfer reported fishing boats torn loose, nets and equipment strewn about, streets covered in sand and debris, and seawater damage to buildings; part of a church wall collapsed in Laguna. Civil Defense said the same volatile weather system also produced a meteotsunami in Capão da Canoa, Rio Grande do Sul, on Sept. 21.
