Analyzing the Effect of an Extreme Weather Event on Telecommunications and Information Technology: Insights from 30 Days of Flooding

In May 2024, weeks of severe rainfall in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil caused widespread damage to infrastructure, impacting over 400 cities and 2.3 million people. This study presents the construction of comprehensive telecommunications datasets during this climatic event, encompassing Internet measurements, fiber cut reports, and Internet Exchange routing data. By correlating network disruptions with hydrological and operational factors, the dataset offers insights into the resilience of fiber networks, data centers, and Internet traffic during critical events. For each scenario, we investigate failures related to the Information and Communication Technology infrastructure and highlight the challenges faced when its resilience is critically tested. Preliminary findings reveal trends in connectivity restoration, infrastructure vulnerabilities, and user behavior changes. These datasets and pre-analysis aim to support future research on disaster recovery strategies and the development of robust telecommunications systems.