Heavy rain hit São Paulo and its metropolitan area on Monday (February 16), causing flooding, fallen trees, and power outages. In Guarulhos, people were stranded, and a woman had to cling to a post to avoid being swept away by the floodwaters. Utility company Enel reported over 67,000 customers without power at the peak of the storm.
The intense rain that struck São Paulo's capital and metropolitan municipalities on Monday (February 16), during Carnival, led to various emergencies. According to the São Paulo Fire Department, around 6 p.m., people were stranded at a gas station in central Guarulhos on Avenida Monteiro Lobato. Two people were rescued there, and another 25 were saved from inside a bus, with no injuries.
One of the most striking scenes occurred on the same avenue, where a woman was rescued after holding onto a post with water reaching her neck. She had clung to a car but released it before the floodwaters carried it away. Social media images showed the city's calamity.
The storm caused 20 to 26 tree falls between 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., according to firefighters. The capital recorded four flood points, reduced to two by 9 p.m., and was under alert since 4:30 p.m., except in the east zone. The Civil Defense issued warnings for afternoon rains.
In Guarulhos, rain in 30 minutes equaled the entire February total, with up to 60 millimeters in some neighborhoods like Vila Rio de Janeiro, Avenida Salgado Filho, and Monteiro Lobato, totaling over 10 flood points. The municipal administration described it as the most intense rain in two years.
Regarding power, Enel reported 67,000 customers without electricity at 6:40 p.m., dropping to 51,000 at 8:30 p.m. and 33,100 at 10:09 p.m. The capital had 26,000 affected, with Taboão da Serra seeing 3.55% of homes without power. The company deployed teams to restore service, impacting 0.79% of units in the region. Mayor Ricardo Nunes criticized the utility, anticipating issues in the rainy season and pushing for contract termination via Aneel, which deemed Enel's performance unsatisfactory.
