Rain causes power outages again in Sao Paulo; Enel pays at the residents’ expense

A Heavy rain fell in Sao Paulo on the afternoon of this Monday 8th returned to cause power outages in several parts of the capital of Paulista, according to what residents reported on social media. A Is in the, the concessionaire responsible for distributing electricity in the city, was charged by customers. In the report, the retailer said it had asked field teams to work to normalize power supply to affected customers.

The lack of electricity has been noticed and reported in neighborhoods such as Saúde, Vila Mariana, Vila Clementino, Mirandópolis, Moema Campo Belo and Paraíso (all in the southern area), and also in commercial establishments in the neighborhood Santana, in the north of the city. One user claims that six traffic lights on the way from home to work were not working, and another claims that the power outage occurred even when the rain had not reached heavy intensity.

Rain and strong winds caused a tree to fall this Monday on Avenida Centenário, in the Ibirapuera neighborhood. Photo: Alex Silva/Estadão

In a report released late this afternoon, firefighters said around 200 tree-falling incidents were recorded in Sao Paulo and the metropolitan region during the storm. The rain accumulated 62 millimeters, according to the Civil Protection.

In a statement released during the night, the Municipality specifies that there are around 50 trees above the electricity grid and that “to date there are no forecasts for Enel, the concessionaire responsible for the supply of energy in the capital”. The location was announced at 9:35 p.m.

“Without the electricity cut by the concessionaire, it will be impossible for the Municipality teams to work on the street, the removal operations of fallen trees will be intensified to alleviate the inconvenience to the population”, explains the municipal administration.

An example, explains the municipality, is on the cycle path of the Avenida República do Belgio, in Ibirapuera, “where the municipality’s removal teams have been waiting for Enel since 4.30pm this Monday to start the work”. “Another tree is located on the wiring in front of gate 8 of Ibirapuera Park, at Avenida República do Lebanon, 894, where teams are also waiting for the electricity grid to be disconnected before removing it.”

During the night, after 10pm, Enel returned to social media and reported that the concessionaire’s teams were working to rebuild the damaged sections of the network to restore electricity. One of the stretches mentioned by the company in the post is Rua Lourenço de Almeida, in Vila Conceição (southern area) near Ibirapuera Park.

In a note sent to the report, Enel specifies that it “has strengthened the teams in the field” and continues “to work to rebuild the numerous sections of the electricity grid damaged” by the rain and winds. In the statement, the company says it “has maintained permanent contact with the municipal management and other authorities” in incidents requiring joint action between the dealer and public authorities.

Customers use social media to report power outages and request repairs

Residents complained about the situation on social media. “First storm of 2024 and the capital Sao Paulo without electricity in mid-afternoon. Several residents report power outages: Moema, Vila Mariana, Vila Clementino, Mirandópolis,” wrote a user on X (formerly Twitter). “It just thundered and the power went out here in Paradise,” wrote another user, on the same social network.

“Enel does not fail. First storm of 2024 in SP and, bingo, the power went out in my neighborhood of Saúde and other locations. It is a great shortage,” wrote a São Paulo resident. “A shower of rain fell. I came to work after it stopped. On the way home from Conrad, I passed six dead lights! Arriving at Conrad, the light has already flashed three times. SP has been completely abandoned by Mayor Nunes,” said another resident of the capital.

Another user pointed out that the electricity in the place he was in had disappeared, even though the rain was not as strong as a “storm”. “All it took was a 30 minute rain, it wasn’t a thunderstorm, it wasn’t a thunderstorm, there were winds but not that strong. The power went out, as soon as the rain started it came back in a few seconds, after about 15 minutes it stopped and never came back. How long will we live this kind of situation,” he asked.

A user also reported at 7.30pm that the rain in Campo Belo was “not heavy”, but that she had been without electricity since 4pm. “The rains were not heavy and we have been waiting since 4pm for a repair in Rua Conde de Porto Alegre. In Campo Belo, San Paolo-SP”.

In some places the power outage was caused by falling trees. Firefighters were called, between 12.20pm and 4.41pm, to 187 cases of falling trees in the capital and the metropolitan region of São Paulo, according to the same company. The cases, according to the firefighters, were concentrated in the south of the city, in neighborhoods such as Moema, Itaim Bibi, Bela Vista, Vila Mariana, Jardim Paulista, Vila Maria and Pinheiros.

In two of these cases, the fallen tree hit high-voltage cables, which fell onto a car with people inside, preventing them from exiting the vehicle. One of the accidents occurred in Alameda dos Aicás, in Moema, and another in Alameda Joaquim Eugênio de Lima (Jardim Paulista). According to the firefighters, no one was injured.

According to the capital’s Climate Emergency Management Centre, flooding was recorded in several parts of the city, such as Sé (centre), Itaquera (eastern zone), São Miguel Paulista (eastern zone), Santo Amaro (southern zone) and Vila Mariana (southern area). southern area). ).

In a note, Enel specifies, based on CGE data, that the city was hit this Monday by “heavy rain followed by gusts of wind up to 76 km/h which hit part of the distributor’s concession area”. The event, according to the company, caused “trees, branches and other objects to fall onto the power grid and interrupt the supply of electricity to some customers.”

According to the concessionaire, the most affected regions were the north, east, west and south of the capital. “The distributor has strengthened its teams in the field and is working to normalize energy supply to affected customers as soon as possible,” Enel said in the statement..

To communicate the lack of electricity, the company advises customers to favor digital channels, sending a free SMS to the number 27373 with the word “Light” together with the installation number shown on the energy bill; Consumers can also access the Enel São Paulo app, WhatsApp Elena: (21) 99601-9608, valid nationwide, or the site’s virtual agency.

The storm two months ago left more than 2.2 million people without electricity

In early November 2023, a storm left more than 2 million people without electricity in São Paulo and cities in the Capital Metropolitan Region. Enel was heavily criticized because the blackout lasted more than five days for thousands of people, resulting in the loss of refrigerated food and damage to customers’ appliances. Mayor Ricardo Nunes even considered terminating the municipality’s contract with the company.

A Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) was opened at the Legislative Assembly of the State of São Paulo (Alesp) to investigate the concessionaire’s provision of services during and after the following days of heavy rain. The final report highlighted irregularities committed by the distributor and suggested that the public authorities close the concession. The contract provides for the partnership to end in 2028.

The company highlighted the intensity of the weather event at the time and said it had taken the necessary measures to restore service.

2024-01-08 23:05:44
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