The Facts
An extratropical cyclone that hit southern Brazil on Monday night has killed at least 36 people in the southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul, Governor Eduardo Leite said Wednesday, adding that this was the deadliest weather disaster to ever hit the state.
The neighboring state of Santa Catarina registered one such fatality after a falling tree struck a man's vehicle during a windstorm with speeds of up to 110 kph (68 mph) in the western city of Jupiá.
The Spin
Narrative A
Increasingly severe rainstorms and flooding are linked to global warming and climate change. Warmer weather allows air to retain more water vapor, which is why we must implement policies to cool the global temperature to save lives and billions of dollars in damage.
Narrative B
It's easy to dismiss any extreme weather event as a consequence of climate change, but in reality they're usually influenced by a myriad of factors. More research is needed before we can establish any direct causal link between the two.