Statue of Liberty Replica Topples in Brazil Amid Strong Winds

A towering 24-meter tall replica of the Statue of Liberty collapsed on Monday in Guaíba, a municipality in southern Brazil, as fierce wind gusts battered the area.

The incident, which fortunately resulted in no injuries or significant property damage, was captured on video by local residents and quickly went viral on social media.

This monumental replica was part of the facade of a store belonging to the Havan chain, a brand well-known across Brazil for placing these replicas in front of many of its outlets.

Footage shared online shows the structure, whose total height exceeds 35 meters when including its base, slowly tilting until it crashes down onto the store's parking lot, narrowly missing several parked vehicles.

Meteorological authorities recorded winds surpassing 90 kilometers per hour in the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre. According to SER network reports, the Civil Defense of the state of Rio Grande do Sul had issued an extreme weather warning hours earlier, advising the public to stay indoors and avoid areas with trees and power lines.

The collapse coincided with the arrival of an extratropical cyclone that impacted large portions of southern and southeastern Brazil, notably in São Paulo, where winds reached speeds of up to 100 km/h. This weather event toppled hundreds of trees, left over 1.3 million people without power, and led to the cancellation of nearly 400 flights.

While the fall of the replica resulted in no casualties, it reignites discussions around the safety of decorative structures in regions vulnerable to severe weather events, which are becoming increasingly frequent due to the impact of climate change across South America.