Friday the 13th Nightmare: 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 needs a break. Starting early, the massive CFE blackout began 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, plus a handy guide to surviving the next outage.

Which neighbourhoods were hit?

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 shadows. But the massive CFE blackout wasn't limited to the central part of the country; in Morelos, scheduled outages affected Cuernavaca and Temixco, just as many had suspected since the CFE vaguely hinted at it.

The worst hit were those working from home or with lunch half-cooked on the stove. My friend from Colonia Del Valle sent me a desperate message because his frozen chicken had thawed. Yeah, that's how sudden it all was.

Blackout review: what went wrong?

Doing a quick massive CFE blackout review, the thing that pissed people off the most was the lack of real-time information. The CFE announced it was scheduled maintenance, but many of us only found out when we were already in the dark. In Cuernavaca, for instance, the outage in Temixco lasted almost four hours, and neighbours ended up having an impromptu street party with candles and coolers. Service did start to be restored around 4 in the afternoon, though it stretched into the night in some areas.

On social media, the massive CFE blackout was trending. Memes were everywhere: from the classic "the electricity bill has arrived" to jokes about it being a preview of the apocalypse. But jokes aside, the real issue is that these outages keep catching us off guard.

Survival guide: making 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 you're not caught off guard next time. Because yes, this will happen again. Take notes:

• Keep a torch and batteries handy. Don't rely on your phone's torch – if you didn't charge it, you're back to the Stone Age.
• Never open the fridge. Every time you open it, the cold air escapes and your food can spoil. If you know an outage is coming, freeze some water bottles to help maintain the temperature.
• Charge your phone and power bank. The moment you see a neighbour lighting a candle, rush to plug everything in. Don't wait for the power to go out.
• Follow the CFE's official accounts. They do sometimes announce things on Twitter, but if you don't want to rely on that, join your neighbourhood WhatsApp group; there's always a kind soul who shares the official notice.
• Keep some cash on hand. When the power goes out, ATMs and payment terminals also go down. If you need to buy something, cash is still 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 your family, read that book you've neglected, or just take a nap without your phone buzzing. It's all about perspective.

What's next: more outages on the horizon?

Scheduled outages aren't new. The CFE says this maintenance is to improve the power grid, but deep down, we all know that in Mexico, whenever the temperature rises or there's a surge in demand, the power grid just gives up. If you live in areas like the ones mentioned, stay alert. You know how the CFE operates: they announce things, but sometimes the announcement comes after the outage. So be prepared, have your emergency kit ready, and don't get too comfortable, because these massive blackouts will continue to be a part of our daily lives.

And you, how did you experience yesterday's blackout? Let me know if you had a hard time or if, on the contrary, it was a welcome break from the routine. In the meantime, I'm going to keep a lamp charged, just in case.