Telecommunications services were heavily disrupted due to the power instability, with mobile operators Claro, TIM Brasil, and Vivo experiencing sharp spikes in service outage reports during the storm and ensuing days. Disruptions were prevalent across São Paulo and neighboring municipalities such as Guarulhos, Osasco, Campinas, Cotia, and Carapicuíba. Despite service restoration efforts by operators and utility crews mobilizing over 1,300 teams, the scale of infrastructure damage and persistent adverse weather conditions created logistical challenges in normalization. Notably, no official mass disruption notifications were filed with Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), as operators reported that outage thresholds triggering mandatory reporting had not been met.
The storm also impacted other critical services, including water supply managed by Sabesp, which faced operational issues due to powerless pumping stations, and air transport, with nearly 400 flights canceled or delayed at São Paulo’s Congonhas and Guarulhos airports. Public dissatisfaction escalated amid perceived sluggish responses and insufficient resource allocation by Enel. Municipal and state authorities criticized the utility’s performance, with Mayor Ricardo Nunes labeling Enel’s emergency management as “irresponsible” and calling for federal intervention and contract cancellation ahead of its 2028 expiration. Governor Tarcisio de Freitas echoed concerns on Enel’s insufficient automation, structural weaknesses, and inadequately staffed workforce to manage increasingly frequent climate-related events. The episode highlights São Paulo’s vulnerability to extreme weather and pressures the resilience and responsiveness of its energy distribution infrastructure amidst rising climatic volatility.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
