It used to be common to see the following headline in port city newspapers: “Rain. Port at a standstill”. These five words, printed in enormous letters, were enough for locals to understand the indirect message: because of the rain, the city has come to a standstill. For the interruption in port activities also meant the paralysis of shipping agencies, terminals, truck yards, and even activities with no apparent connection to the port, like commerce in general or dental services.

Stevedores who were paid by the day went without work because of the rain, and so went without money, too. As a consequence, they didn’t buy anything in the shops, put off dental treatment etc. 

And why would a port stop because of rain? Today’s generation, accustomed to omnipresent containers, can scarcely imagine what the mere presence of black clouds on the horizon used to mean to port operations. Everyone was at the ready to act, for at any moment the rain could begin and damage imported or exported merchandise, protected only by simple wrapping. Bags of coffee, once damaged by the rain, would end up going mouldy during the long voyage to their destination in another continent.

So, at the first drops of rain, work was interrupted, and cranes would go into action to put the heavy lids into place to seal vessel holds. Depending on the length of time it rained, work for that day would be lost, and the vessel would have to stay another day in dock, perhaps a lot more. 

With the development of containerization, merchandise now arrives on board already in a container, and port operations are only interrupted in cases of severe storms, when the workforce or equipment could be at risk. 

We can say that technology has evolved considerably. In fact, some ports are totally operated by computer, with loading equipment following sophisticated pre-programmed movements, controlled at a distance from an operations centre that looks more like an airport control tower. 

Despite all the technological advances, that old newspaper headline hasn’t gone away yet. Whether it’s occasional floods that stop vehicles reaching the docks or block roads because of fallen bridges, or the rapid river currents that threaten to sweep away vessels secured by anchors and tug boats, the rain can still beat limited human technology, or at least overstretch the economic resources available to apply it as a guarantee that operations will continue.    

I make this observation on hearing the news that, at the end of April 2010, the ports of Itajaí and Navegantes, at the mouth of the River Itajaí-Açú (in the state of Santa Catarina), had to halt activities because of the rain that had raised the level of the river and increased the current by five knots an hour.

This river in the south of Brazil is far smaller than the gigantic Amazon, which battles with the ocean to create the phenomenon known as the ‘pororoca’ (tidal bore). But captains of long-haul vessels know that when passing the Santa Catarina coast, even out at sea, they need to be careful to stay on course, because they might well be far from the coast, but the strength of the River Itajaí-Açú can still make itself felt. Even without rain.