Spain and Portugal plunged into a massive blackout on Monday that sent shockwaves through daily life across the Iberian Peninsula. The outage, which started shortly after noon, plunged millions in the Southeast into darkness, creating a state of emergency across several affected states. In response, the Spanish and Portuguese governments rushed to convene emergency cabinet meetings to deal with the worsening situation. In the meantime, our fellow citizens struggled with the effects of the blackout.
As the collapse in utility power moved rapidly across the region, confusion and disorder followed in every industry. So bad that shuttering the Spanish parliament was necessary as officials rushed to determine the extent of the outage’s damage. In Madrid, the electricity shortage forced closure and play stoppage at the world-class Madrid Open. This shift was disruptive to the players and fans alike. Hospitals throughout major cities, including Barcelona and areas across Galicia, were forced to rely on emergency generators in order to keep vital services running.
The blackout’s most acute impact was felt by transportation. One of the most heavily impacted infrastructure assets was the Madrid-Barcelona high-speed railway line, which left thousands of rail passengers stranded. News reports began to circulate of incidents where train conductors directed travelers to leave the trains two-by-two in order to protect them.
“Get off two by two and come back immediately after relieving yourself,” – Train attendant (reported by El País)
The Madrid metro system ground to a halt, with passengers stranded in trains until emergency responders were able to evacuate them. As a result, hundreds of petrol stations in both countries have shuttered their pumps. This new layer builds additional barriers for those just trying to make their way through the mess.
The outage’s ripple effects went beyond large scale transactions to basic daily purchases too. With ATMs out of commission, millions were suddenly cut off from cash. A rush of demand for radios, batteries, candles and torches caught bazaar merchants in Barcelona off-guard. Shoppers came in en masse, putting together supplies for the worst kind of night that may come.
When Madrid resident Pilar Lopez heard the news, she was understandably upset. The IT outage made it impossible for her to process even the most basic transactions.
“I can’t even pay because my mobile isn’t working. Sometimes you have to be a bit more analogue: this proves it,” – Pilar Lopez
The situation caused considerable anxiety among citizens. Thousands were left disconnected as cell phone networks buckled under the pressure of the multiple-day-long outage. Antonio Loreto, a university student in Catalonia, described the shock when students began to understand the seriousness of the blackout.
“When people noticed it was in the whole university everyone got nervous. Then someone said it was the whole of Catalonia, then all Spain. We realised no one had cellphone reception. People started to panic. Some said it could be the start of world war three,” – Antonio Loreto
As dusk settled in each day, pedestrians and cyclists were forced to make their journeys home with inadequate options. Dan Jørgensen, the government’s spokesperson on power utilities, sought to calm worried Danes with the declaration that “Power is already restored in some areas.” For most of the public, serious doubts still lingered about the dependability of their service.
Even amid destruction and disorder, ordinary folks splashed color on their community and sparked hope. Other resident Pilar Lopez, who spoke to the policy changes after the recent fire, underscored how grave this crisis has become.
“We’ve suffered a pandemic, I don’t think this is worse,” – Pilar Lopez
With recovery efforts just beginning, the onus is now on both governments to deliver accurate messaging and sustained support to affected communities. We hope that officials quickly determine the cause of the outage and return operations to normal across impacted areas.