A severe hailstorm struck northern Mexico City yesterday afternoon, causing the most significant damage in the Cuautepec area of the Gustavo A. Madero borough; there, the metal roof of a basketball court at a “Pilares” community center collapsed, and service on Cablebús Line 1 was temporarily suspended.
In the neighborhoods of Cuautepec—located on the border with Tlalnepantla, State of Mexico—the hailstorm blanketed streets, vehicles, and rooftops with a thick layer of ice.
Images shared by residents on social media show steep alleyways turning into rushing cascades and streets becoming rivers of hail, particularly near the Revolución sports fields, close to the Northern Prison (Reclusorio Norte).
According to the Secretariat for Comprehensive Risk Management and Civil Protection, ice accumulation caused the collapse of a basketball court roof (measuring approximately 15 by 25 meters) at a Pilares center in the Tlalpexco neighborhood; no injuries were reported.
However, the collapse damaged the lighting system, prompting authorities to cordon off the area and suspend activities pending the removal of the structure today.
In the same borough, a nine-by-eight-meter metal structure covering a home’s parking area in the Del Carmen neighborhood also gave way under the weight of the hail, though no casualties were reported.
Weather conditions forced Cablebús operators to perform a precautionary unloading of passengers on Line 1—which runs from Cuautepec to Indios Verdes—due to the electrical storm in the area. Service remained suspended for approximately two hours.
Widespread rainfall also caused disruptions in other boroughs, such as Venustiano Carranza, Iztapalapa, Iztacalco, and Benito Juárez. In the first district, emergency crews responded to flooding along Circuito Interior and Oceanía, as well as at other locations in the Aquiles Serdán, Moctezuma Segunda Sección, and Puebla neighborhoods.
Near the Central de Abasto market in Iztapalapa, a vehicle became stranded in a large pool of standing water—spanning 300 meters—caused by inadequate drainage and accumulated trash.
Additionally, in the Cuchilla Agrícola Oriental neighborhood of Iztacalco, accumulated water affected the roadway and the courtyards of 25 homes; emergency personnel carried out clearing and cleanup operations to restore water flow.
Meanwhile, the chief of the Heroic Fire Department, Juan Manuel Pérez Cova, reported that the rainfall on Tuesday evening and night resulted in 39 fallen trees, 17 instances of standing water, one downed utility pole, and two short circuits, all of which were addressed by his personnel.
Source: jornada
