A devastating combination of severe weather and infrastructure failure Friday afternoon left millions in darkness across three southeastern Mexican states. Heavy winds and rain compounded the chaos from a massive power outage.
The blackout struck around 2 p.m. local time, affecting the entire Yucatán Peninsula, including the states of Yucatán, Campeche, and Quintana Roo. Just an hour later, a powerful storm slammed into Mérida with strong winds and torrential rain, toppling trees and downing electrical poles while residents were still dealing with the power outage.
The Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) said the outage was caused by maintenance work on high-voltage transmission lines. President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the incident and personally monitored restoration efforts as technicians scrambled to bring the grid back online.
“CFE has identified a failure in the electrical supply in the Yucatán Peninsula, which has affected service in different areas,” the utility said in a statement. “Specialized CFE personnel, in coordination with CENACE, are already working to restore service in the shortest possible time.”
The blackout created immediate disruptions across the peninsula, which covers roughly 181,000 square kilometers (70,000 square miles). But in Mérida, the situation turned catastrophic when strong winds and heavy rain began pummeling the city around 3 p.m., just an hour after the power failed.
The storm brought wind gusts that toppled trees throughout the city, particularly in northern neighborhoods like García Ginerés, Montes de Amé, and Chuburná. Social media users reported multiple electrical poles collapsed along the northern périférico near Avenida García Lavín and City Center, with at least one incident involving a trailer truck.
Shopping centers in Cancún operated on emergency lighting, while Mérida residents faced the double blow of working in darkness while heavy rain flooded streets already struggling without functioning traffic signals. Two people had to be rescued from stalled elevators in Mérida’s downtown area.
Energy Secretary Luz Elena González provided regular updates as restoration efforts progressed. By 5 p.m., power had returned to most of Mérida and Valladolid in Yucatán state, as well as to Chetumal, Bacalar, and Holbox in Quintana Roo. However, Cancún lagged behind with only 9% restoration by early evening.
The incident marks the second major blackout in the region in less than a month, raising concerns about the reliability of Mexico’s electrical infrastructure. In June 2022, a similar event left 1.3 million people without power, also in the Yucatán Peninsula.
CFE operates Mexico’s national transmission grid through 43,000 kilometers (27,000 miles) of high-voltage lines and coordinates with the National Energy Control Center (CENACE) to maintain system stability. The state-owned utility serves as Mexico’s primary electricity provider under constitutional mandate.
The timing couldn’t be worse for the region’s tourism industry, which depends heavily on reliable infrastructure. Yucatán state recorded an 11% increase in overnight visitors during the first seven months of 2025 compared to the same period last year, reaching more than 246,000 tourists in July alone.
Infrastructure challenges have plagued the peninsula for years. Blackouts are expected to continue throughout Mexico due to aging equipment and insufficient energy reserves, which dropped from 6.6% of annual consumption in 2018 to just 1-2% this year.
The Mexican government has announced ambitious plans to address these issues. CFE will invest $8.177 billion to strengthen the transmission network, benefiting 50 million Mexicans. The Yucatán state government is working with CFE on a plan to eliminate blackouts by 2027 and achieve energy self-sufficiency by 2030.
Two new combined-cycle power plants are planned for the peninsula – one in Mérida and another in Valladolid – though delays have pushed their completion dates into the future. The plants are designed to increase electricity generation capacity on the peninsula by 92.16%.
Governor Joaquín Díaz Mena has acknowledged the challenge, saying “Yucatán is facing a complex energy situation, especially during this season of extreme heat” that contributes to system stress.
By Friday evening, CFE reported that service had been restored to most affected areas, though some pockets remained without power. The double-hit from the blackout and severe weather serves as a stark reminder of the infrastructure investments needed to support the region’s growing economy and tourism sector.
The storm was attributed to the influence of a distant cold front in the Gulf of Mexico combined with subtropical jet streams and atmospheric moisture that created ideal conditions for severe weather over the Yucatecan capital. Meteorologists noted that the eastern part of Mérida suffered the worst wind damage from the storm system.
Key Facts About Friday’s Crisis:
- Over 2.2 million customers affected by blackout across 3 states
- Power outage began around 2 p.m. on September 26, 2025
- Severe storm hit Mérida around 3 p.m. with strong winds and heavy rain
- Multiple electrical poles collapsed along northern périférico in Mérida
- Trees downed throughout Mérida, especially in northern neighborhoods
- Outage caused by maintenance work on high-voltage transmission lines
- Major tourist destinations Cancún, Tulum, and Mérida went dark
- Traffic chaos resulted from failed signals and storm flooding
- Most power restored within 4-6 hours despite storm complications
- Second major blackout in the region in less than a month
- CFE investing $8.177 billion in transmission network improvements
- Peninsula energy self-sufficiency targeted for 2030
Sources: ABC News, El Financiero, Voz US, Ground News, Power Systems Technology, Mexico News Daily