Tornado: Winds of 126 km/h tear metal structures from Chapecó airport terminal By Luís Henrique Costa
2 min read
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A tornado tore metal structures from the front façade and roof of the Serafim Enoss Bertaso Airport in Chapecó, in western Santa Catarina, on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Gusts stripped part of the terminal hall roof and shattered glass panels at the entrance. The airport operator, Voe Xap, suspended all landings and takeoffs indefinitely, and no one was hurt inside the terminal.
The storm crossed the city in the morning and caused heavy damage in residential neighborhoods. Power transmission was cut and the internet network went down. The Chapecó Municipal Education Department canceled all public school classes scheduled for the afternoon shift.
The line of instability moved from the Extremo-Oeste toward the Meio-Oeste of Santa Catarina and generated high-speed wind readings. The state Civil Defense station recorded a 92.9 km/h reading near the airport, while Inmet instruments registered peak gusts of 126 km/h. Meteorologist Piter Scheuer identified a tornadic supercell and a downburst on the radar images, and the official classification of the tornado’s intensity is still pending.
Twisted roof panels thrown onto the access yard and parked cars
The metal front roof was twisted and hurled against the external access yard. Signs and debris fell on vehicles parked around the airport perimeter. Inside the hall, rainwater and glass fragments collected on the floor.
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Engineering teams from the concessionaire inspected the runway, navigation aids and passenger service areas to assess the damage. The airport handled 648,000 passengers in 2025 and serves as the main air hub for western Santa Catarina, northwestern Rio Grande do Sul and southwestern Paraná.
What passengers with tickets must do after the airport shutdown
Voe Xap issued an emergency alert with specific steps for travelers who already hold tickets:
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- Stay away from the terminal until the operational block and the engineering work are over.
- Contact airlines through their apps, phone lines or official websites to request rebooking at no cost or a full refund.
- Check weather bulletins from the state Civil Defense before driving anywhere in the Chapecó region.
Engineers and security agents continue removing the metal debris and rebuilding access roads on an emergency basis. The Civil Defense plans a drone survey as soon as weather allows, and no official date for reopening the airport has been announced.
