Residents of Guadalupe, Chihuahua experienced a critical water shortage starting Thursday night when an electrical failure knocked out the municipal wells supplying the community. The blackout, triggered by lightning storms in the region, damaged one of the electrical phases feeding the pumping systems, leaving hundreds of families without access to drinking water, cooking water, or the ability to run air conditioning during extreme heat conditions.

The Junta Municipal de Agua y Saneamiento (JMAS) of Guadalupe confirmed that the outage stemmed from severe weather that caused a short circuit, damaging crucial infrastructure. By Saturday, families had depleted their emergency water reserves and began collecting water from various points around town, carrying supplies in buckets and containers. One resident, Olga, shared her experience of rationing emergency supplies that she thought would sustain her household through unexpected situations.

While CFE crews worked to repair the electrical damage, the JRAS water board from El Porvenir in Praxedis G. Guerrero deployed a water truck to distribute supplies door-to-door throughout Guadalupe. Though initial plans called for filling one container per household to maximize coverage, workers adjusted the approach on the ground, allowing residents to fill all available containers. By midday, the mobile unit had reached approximately 30 homes and continued operations throughout the day to support affected families.

The restoration work proceeded steadily, and by afternoon, CFE successfully reestablished power to the pumping stations. With electricity restored and the JMAS infrastructure operational again, normal water service resumed for the community, ending the two-day emergency supply situation.