Three days after the extratropical cyclone triggered widespread blackouts in São Paulo—as previously reported—around 400,000 homes were still without power on December 13. Viral videos capture fleeting joys turned to despair, while protests and a court-mandated deadline pressure Enel amid ongoing restoration efforts.
As covered in earlier updates, the cyclone on December 10 felled trees and damaged infrastructure, initially affecting over 3 million Enel customers. By December 13, crews had restored service to most, but about 400,000 homes remained in the dark, prompting outrage.
A viral video from influencer Fabious in Vila Andrade showed residents cheering a brief power return on December 12, only for exploding poles to plunge them back into darkness.
Residents reported heavy losses: hairdresser Carmem Silva Souza in Bela Vista estimated R$10,000–12,000 from salon closure and spoiled food; pizzaria owner João Paulo Umburana Souza spent R$9,800 on a generator. In Perdizes, claims surfaced that Enel altered outage logs to shorten deadlines. A 97-year-old lost critical medications.
Protests intensified: in Ipiranga, blocked streets and fires led to restoration by 3:20 p.m.; Vila Andrade saw over 100 homes dark, with thefts and refuge-seeking at relatives' homes.
On December 12, the São Paulo Court of Justice ordered full restoration within 12 hours (immediate for hospitals, schools, electrodependents), with R$200,000 hourly fines. Enel deployed 1,800 teams, blaming persistent winds—the worst since 2006. A TCU prosecutor seeks to suspend concession renewal over maintenance issues.
Blame continues: city hall cites unpruned trees; Enel points to municipal delays. Fuvest prepared generators for exams on December 14–15. Enel aims for full restoration by end of December 14.
