A severe blackout has paralyzed parts of Brazil’s largest metropolis, São Paulo, leaving an estimated 1.4 million residents without electricity and causing major travel disruption. The crisis was triggered on Wednesday by powerful winds associated with an extratropical cyclone, which toppled hundreds of trees onto the city’s power grid.
Key Details of the Crisis
- Cause: The massive outage was caused by an extratropical cyclone that generated winds reaching approximately 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph). São Paulo city officials reported that at least 231 trees were felled, many of which crashed onto critical power lines.
- Impact on Travel: The power failure severely impacted air travel. Aviation authorities canceled nearly 400 flights, with the downtown Congonhas Airport bearing the brunt of the cancellations. Operations at the larger Guarulhos International Airport were also affected.
- Utility Company Under Fire: The Italian utility company Enel, which manages the power distribution, is facing intense criticism. São Paulo Mayor Ricardo Nunes publicly labeled the company “irresponsible,” accusing it of not deploying its full efforts to restore services. Public anger flared further when vehicles from Enel were seen parked at the company’s lot instead of being used for repair work.
- Secondary Effects: The lack of power has created a domino effect. The local water utility, Sabesp, announced that electricity-dependent water pumps are failing, threatening to disrupt water supply services across affected areas.
Restoration Efforts and Ongoing Challenges
While Enel has deployed 1,300 personnel to work on repairs, the company has not provided a concrete deadline for when power will be fully restored. The situation on Thursday marked an improvement from the peak of the blackout on Wednesday when over 2 million people were in the dark, but full recovery is expected to be a prolonged process.
The event has sparked a significant political dispute over infrastructure maintenance and emergency responsiveness in one of South America’s most important cities.