A storm hit São Paulo on Tuesday (13/1), placing the city on alert for flooding and causing power outages for tens of thousands of properties. Authorities issued warnings for a creek overflow in the north zone and recorded flooding points on major avenues. Emergency teams handled rescues and restorations.
On Tuesday (13/1), a strong storm passed through São Paulo, prompting the Centro de Gerenciamento de Emergências Climáticas (CGE) to declare an attention state for flooding at 20:07, initially in the east zone and expanded to the entire capital at 21:03, including the center, north, south, east, west, southeast zones, and Tietê and Pinheiros expressways. The alert ended at 21:37 after the rain weakened.
The Subprefeitura de Jaçanã e Tremembé in the north zone entered red alert at 20:20 due to the risk of overflow from Córrego Paciência, at the height of Avenidas Edu Chaves and Sanatório. Authorities recommended residents avoid low areas, stay away from the creek, and follow Civil Defense alerts for possible inundations or road blockages.
Utility company Enel reported 54,608 properties without power at 21:15, with 50,665 in the capital; figures fluctuated, peaking at 62,400 at 21:47 and dropping to 56,600 by 22:32, with 50,700 in the capital. Teams were working to restore supply.
The Fire Department handled seven calls for tree falls by 19:00 and dispatched a vehicle to rescue people stranded on Avenida Aricanduva. In Itaquaquecetuba, a tree fell on a car with two occupants, who escaped unharmed. Hail was reported in Santa Cecília in the center, with incidents in Jaçanã and Lapa. The state Civil Defense issued a severe alert for persistent rain in the east zone and Guarulhos around 19:50. There were 33 flooding points in the capital, including Avenidas Paulista, Vital Brazil, and Professor Luiz Ignácio Anhaia Mello.
The strongest wind gusts reached 70.4 km/h in the north zone (Santana-Carandiru), and rainfall totals hit 75.2 mm in Vila Prudente-Oratório and 70.4 mm in Vila Maria/Vila Guilherme. The Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (Inmet) forecasted unstable conditions with isolated light to moderate rain showers in the coming hours. For Wednesday (14), the entire state of São Paulo is under a potential danger warning for storms, potentially escalating to danger level with up to 100 mm of rain per day, winds of 60 to 100 km/h, and risks of hail and tree falls.
Authorities advise avoiding flooded streets, not facing currents, keeping distance from electrical lines and trees, and using emergency numbers: 199 (Civil Defense), 192 (SAMU), and 156 (City Hall).
