Power Outage Sparks Confusion and Reflection on Digital Reliance in Spain

“It was utter chaos,” remarked Inigo, a physician at a hospital in northern Spain.

Since losing power on Monday afternoon, he noted that emergency generators were reserved for critical areas. This meant a lack of access to patient records, disrupted phone connectivity and email, and colleagues unable to carry out their responsibilities, leading to severe communication breakdowns.

Inigo explained that the hospital’s backup generator was intended to keep surgeries ongoing. However, operations had to be cancelled due to the challenges of safely managing orders and moving patients. “This incident made us realize just how reliant we are on technology,” he said.

On that Monday, about 55 million individuals found themselves thrust back into a pre-electric era as significant blackouts swept through Spain, Portugal, and southern France, marking one of the worst outages in recent European memory. Mobile signals vanished, traffic lights failed, supermarkets fell into darkness, digital payment systems froze, and many found themselves stranded away from home as a prolonged power outage occurred.

Last month, EU residents were advised to prepare with 72 hours’ worth of essential supplies, but this blackout underscored the susceptibility many have to widespread disruptions.

After service was restored, the Guardian spoke with individuals reflecting on the incident and its implications for future preparedness and resilience.

For Inigo, despite the disruption feeling like a “total disaster” at the moment, he appreciated in retrospect that there were no physical injuries. “Moving forward, we should invest in more backup generators and fuel to ensure smoother operations,” he suggested.

Initially, Beibei, 41, in Barcelona, found the power cut to be “very thrilling.” However, concern set in when a neighbor knocked on her door with her four-month-old baby, saying, “I know it’s affecting all of Europe.” “I could see the anxiety on her face,” Beibei shared.

She needed to pick up her six-year-old son from school but had to first find food. “In the dimly lit shop, the cashier was turning away customers who couldn’t pay with cash,” explained Beibei, who is a climate activist and has lived in Spain since the pandemic hit. She collected some essentials but anxiously noticed other shoppers with full carts, fearing she wouldn’t have enough.

On her second trip with her neighbor, she found their nearest supermarket had stopped admitting customers. At another store, Beibei faced an alarming situation. “The cashier unloaded items from my basket when I realized I didn’t have enough cash. Just as the last light went out, she announced, ‘I can’t accept any payments now.’

After reuniting with her sons, Beibei expressed a newfound appreciation for everyday conveniences. “I’ve ensured I have cash ready for next time,” she mentioned.

“This experience has shifted my perspective on what truly matters in life—the nourishment we often take for granted, the presence of loved ones, and the ease of cooking and cleaning with modern appliances. I will never overlook these miracles again.”

The outage also led to passengers being trapped in underground subway tunnels and trains, compelling many to walk long distances and remain stationary for hours.

Doug Crave, 60, from Brighton, boarded a train in Madrid at 9:57 a.m. to visit a friend in Barcelona. However, before reaching his destination, the train experienced a shudder. With no mobile signal, the doors remained sealed for nearly two hours until authorities finally arrived to open them and distribute bottled water.

He recounted that a woman experienced a panic attack lasting about six hours. “It felt stifling and humid in the carriage,” he said. Eventually, police led passengers off the train using flashlights at night, escorting them to Barcelona where they boarded a bus that arrived around midnight.

Crave noted that the ordeal prompted him to reconsider the increasing reliance on digital transactions, as many were unable to buy food or water during the outage.

“In every conversation I had in Barcelona regarding hotels, taxis, and restaurants, there was a common concern about the increasing trend of going cashless,” he reported. “All payment systems failed, leaving cash as the only option, yet most people were unprepared, and ATMs were non-functional.”

Katarina, a 24-year-old engineer from Porto, was in her office when the power went out. Upon returning home, she filled containers with water in case her pump stopped working. She tuned into updates via a battery-operated radio she bought after the EU’s emergency advice last month.

“Nobody had any idea of what to do or where to go or how long it would take,” she recalled.

“On one hand, there’s a lot of discourse about how technology has disconnected us, yet yesterday proved that we remain human. People helped one another, stepped outside, and acted as a community once more.”

With her power still out by 5 p.m. on Monday, Katarina took a stroll with her boyfriend. She observed cars halted due to the absence of traffic lights, orderly bus lines, gardens filled with readers, athletes, and families barbecuing, as well as residents chatting with passersby from their doorways.

“It was quite remarkable,” she said. “It really restored my faith in humanity to witness how quickly people banded together and supported each other despite the chaos around us.”