25,000+ WITHOUT POWER: Chile's Capital on RED ALERT Due to Severe Hail & Thunderstorms

The capital city of Santiago, Chile, along with its surrounding metropolitan sectors, has been placed under an immediate RED ALERT after a sudden, violent storm characterized by intense lightning, gale-force wind gusts, and abnormally heavy hail swept across the region. The extreme weather event has knocked out critical electrical grids, leaving more than 28,000 households and businesses in a widespread blackout. The torrential downpours rapidly overwhelmed local drainage systems, turning major thoroughfares into rivers and bringing rush-hour transit to a complete standstill. Fallen trees and flying debris have crushed vehicles, blocked primary evacuation routes, and severed multiple high-voltage distribution lines. Municipal authorities have reported localized flooding in both residential basements and commercial districts. First responders, civil defense units, and utility repair crews have been deployed en masse, working through hazardous conditions to clear arterial roads and restore electricity to critical facilities, including hospitals and emergency call centers. With the national meteorological agency warning of lingering atmospheric instability and the risk of secondary storm cells, officials urge all residents to remain indoors, stay clear of downed power lines, and follow real-time alerts.