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A viral video showing a replica of the Statue of Liberty collapsing during a storm in southern Brazil has gone viral on social media. The incident occurred on Monday, December 15, 2024, in the city of Guaíba, within the metropolitan region of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, as powerful winds swept through the area.
The viral video clip shows the statue’s upper section swaying visibly before tipping forward and crashing into a parking lot outside a Havan retail megastore.
A replica of the Statue of Liberty was knocked down by strong winds in Brazil.
According to media reports from December 16, 2025, authorities and the company confirmed that no injuries were reported and that the area was quickly secured.
As clips circulated widely on social media, many users focused less on the storm itself and more on the collapse, with some wondering what the structure was made of and held together with.
Oh! Did they paste it with glue?
What’s it made out of paper mache
Most people managed to find humor in the bizarre situation, with some drawing references to Michael Jackson's iconic dance step, and some even saying the incident "sums up" the year 2025 so far.
Only one person can hold that stance. Statue of Liberty had no reason trying to be Michael Jackson
O i thought it was trying to do the MJ dance move
That about sums up the year
More about the viral Statue of Liberty in Brazil
According to media reports from December, the nearly 40-metre-tall replica of the Statue of Liberty was struck by intense winds as a line of severe storms moved across southern Brazil.
Weather authorities reportedly recorded wind gusts exceeding 90 kmph at the height of the storm in Guaíba. The statue, installed in the parking area of a Havan megastore near a fast-food outlet, reportedly began to lean under the force of the wind before collapsing and breaking apart.
In the caption of an Instagram post on December 16, 2025, Guaíba mayor Marcelo Maranata said emergency teams were immediately deployed and worked alongside state Civil Defence officials to secure the site and assess nearby areas for damage.
"On Monday afternoon (15th), our city was hit by strong wind gusts that reached 80 mph. Since the first moment, we've been on the streets following the situation closely. The Civil Defense and the Secretary of Infrastructure are fully mobilized, attending to events and ensuring the safety of the population. In case of an emergency, contact the Civil Defense at 199"The store Havan also reportedly stated that only the upper portion of the statue, measuring about 24 metres, was affected, while the 11-metre base stayed intact.
The storm disrupted Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, with reports of damaged roofs, fallen trees, hail, and temporary power outages in several areas. Severe weather warnings reportedly remained in place even after the collapse, though conditions were expected to gradually improve.
The replica involved in the incident was one of several Statue of Liberty structures installed outside Havan retail stores across Brazil. According to company officials, the Guaíba statue had been in place since the store opened in 2020 and met the required technical certification standards.
The mayor confirmed that quick action by staff and bystanders helped prevent injuries or vehicle damage. Havan emphasized that store operations continued in unaffected areas, although access to the section surrounding the fallen statue remained restricted.
The retailer also announced that a technical inspection would be carried out to determine the precise cause of the collapse and whether any factors beyond extreme weather contributed to the failure.
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Edited by Devangee
English (US)