Terrifying Friday: Everything you need to know about the massive CFE blackout

Yesterday was Friday the 13th, and as if fate wanted to play a nasty trick on us, the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) reminded us that in Mexico, even the power grid takes a break. From early on, the massive CFE blackout started plunging entire neighbourhoods into darkness, and social media lit up like never before. If you found yourself in the dark or know someone still waiting for the power to come back, here's the full story and, while we're at it, a guide to surviving the next outage.

Which neighbourhoods lost power?

The chaos started around 10 in the morning. In Mexico City, neighbourhoods like Doctores, Roma Norte, Condesa, and parts of Coyoacán started going dark as if someone had switched the city to airplane mode. Reports quickly came in from the State of Mexico: Naucalpan, Tlalnepantla, and Ecatepec also joined the list of places in the shade. But the massive CFE blackout wasn't confined to the centre of the country; in Morelos, the scheduled outages affected Cuernavaca and Temixco, just as many had suspected ever since the CFE vaguely hinted at it.

The ones hit hardest were those in the middle of working from home or who had lunch half-cooked on the stove. My mate from the Del Valle neighbourhood sent me a desperate message because his chicken had thawed out. Yeah, it was that sudden.

The blackout review: what went wrong?

Doing a quick massive CFE blackout review, what really cheesed people off was the lack of real-time information. The CFE announced they were scheduled works, but most of us found out when we were already in the dark. In Cuernavaca, for instance, the outage in Temixco lasted nearly four hours, and the locals ended up having an impromptu street party with candles and eskies. That said, power started coming back around 4 in the afternoon, though in some areas it stretched into the night.

On social media, the massive CFE blackout was trending. There were memes of all kinds: from the classic "the electricity bill has arrived" to those saying it was a preview of the apocalypse. But jokes aside, the real issue is that these outages keep catching us off guard, time and again.

Survival guide: how to make the blackout work for you

Since the CFE doesn't give us as much notice as we'd like, here's my massive CFE blackout guide so it doesn't catch you on the hop next time. Because yes, this is going to happen again. Take note:

• Keep a torch and batteries handy. Don't rely on your phone's torch, because if you haven't charged it, you're back in the stone age.
• Never open the fridge. Every time you do, the cold escapes and your groceries can spoil. If you know an outage is coming, freeze water bottles to help maintain the temperature.
• Charge your phone and your power bank. The moment you see a neighbour lighting a candle, run and plug everything in. Don't wait for the power to actually go out.
• Follow the CFE's official accounts. They sometimes give a heads-up on Twitter, but if you don't want to rely on that, join your neighbourhood WhatsApp groups; there's always a kind soul who shares the announcement.
• Have cash on hand. With a blackout, ATMs and bank terminals also pack it in. If you need to buy something, cash is king.

But hey, it's not all bad. If you know how to use a massive CFE blackout to disconnect from the world, it can be the perfect excuse to chat with the family, read that book you've abandoned, or just have a nap without your phone interrupting. It's all about perspective.

What's next: more blackouts on the horizon?

Scheduled outages aren't new. The CFE has said these works are to improve the electricity grid, but deep down we all know that in Mexico, whenever the temperature rises or there's a surge in demand, the power says "that's enough for now". If you live in areas like the ones mentioned, stay alert. You know how the CFE rolls: they give notice, but sometimes the notice comes after the outage. So be prepared, have your emergency kit ready, and don't get too comfortable, because these massive blackouts will keep being part of our daily lives.

So, how did you experience yesterday's blackout? Let me know if you really struggled, or if, on the contrary, it was a breather from the daily grind. Meanwhile, I'm going to keep a lamp charged, just in case.