Power off: what have we learnt about modern life from the major power outages? 

On Monday 28 April, there were massive power outages in Spain, Portugal, and parts of France from noon onwards. They caused disruption, panic, and perhaps surprisingly, demonstrations of human goodwill and unity.

After two successive “disconnection events” across the grid, a cascade caused Spain and the other affected areas to lose power after the systems in place to protect the wider European grid isolated them, in order to protect other countries from the same event. Just a month prior, the European Commission began encouraging citizens to take precautionary measures in preparation for a variety of potential crises such as floods, pandemics, fires, or even military strikes. People were advised to stockpile at least 72 hours worth of essential supplies alongside “developing household emergency plans”. This type of cautionary action was inspired by plans surfacing from within other EU countries, such as Germany, which had already put forward similar protective measures.

Yet, despite the warnings of potential crisis events, the regions without power were underprepared, not only for the scale of the outages, but also for their social ramifications. The period without power was a forceful wake-up call, revealing our pervasive reliance on technology, certainly, but it also proved that we aren’t as disconnected without it as we might think.

No power meant no phone tower connection, so phone usage was pointless – unless you were in speaking (or shouting) range of another person, there was no way to contact them. This puts the ease with which we can communicate with others across cities, countries, and time zones into perspective, whilst raising concerns for the lack of backup options. To stay informed, some went out of their way to buy transistor radios, since they still functioned where phones didn’t.

Despite the fear this event caused, seeing people come together away from their phones to enjoy themselves and benefit from human connection whilst it happened is something we can all appreciate, as it is not only a beautiful show of unity but also resilience

It isn’t just communication that we rely on phones for. Once the power cuts hit, many rushed to supermarkets, panic-buying supplies. Yet once they got to the till and brought their phones out to pay, nothing happened. Even debit and credit cards were rendered useless, meaning that anyone without cash was refused. By the time some people reached a supermarket, they were refusing entry to new customers due to the sheer volume of people. Interestingly, although it could be said that carrying cash these days is a risk, due to pickpockets, for example, once the grid collapsed, only cash was a valid form of payment.

Immediately, just the loss of phone use caused major issues with communication and emergency stockpiling, revealing to us our immense dependence on these devices. However, it is equally important to see the positive aspect of this unplanned phone detox – many people reported seeing: people reading, neighbours having conversations from their doorways, people playing sports, and others playing and listening to music together. Despite the fear this event caused, seeing people come together away from their phones to enjoy themselves and benefit from human connection whilst it happened is something we can all appreciate. This is not only a beautiful show of unity but also resilience – maybe we aren’t as dependent as we think we are, and this was an effective, if jarring, way of demonstrating that.

Some people reported helping others who were having panic attacks on the train, and they did not know what had happened, or the scale until the police arrived in person

Yet, we can’t ignore another example of the outages’ impact on hospitals. While many were safe with friends and family enjoying the time away from their devices, hospitals and similar institutions faced extreme problems. One hospital worker described it as “chaos”, since despite having emergency generators for vital areas, operations were nonetheless cancelled because workers were unable to move patients to the necessary areas. After all, the lifts were no longer in use. Alongside no patient data and fragile communications with not only those within the hospital but also the other emergency services, these power outages took their toll on medical spaces. Again, though, there is a silver lining to this experience – not only did hospital workers continue with their jobs throughout the power cut, but the emergency generators also did their job, helping those within their bounds. Not only is that a demonstration of the brilliance of our medical services, but it also means that the course of action in preparation for future crises is clear – installing new backup generators and having surgical rooms on multiple floors to limit the usage of lifts when not necessary, for example.

Transportation was another one of the main areas affected during the outages, with people being stranded on trains for over 11 hours and underground in the metro for over 2 hours until police arrived to provide water bottles or lead them out of the metro tunnels. Some people reported helping others who were having panic attacks on the train, and they did not know what had happened, or the scale, until the police arrived in person.

This event, being on such a large scale, is bound to make countries rethink their crisis management capabilities, taking into account the extensive presence and usage of technology in modern life

Whilst the situation concerning train travel was frightening and incredibly long-lasting for those involved, for those above ground in cars, there was further evidence of people coping with the lack of power. Cars reportedly were stopping to allow pedestrians to cross roads without traffic lights enforcing it, and although buses were overcrowded, people formed orderly queues to get on. Here, there are two sides to exploring the effect of the power cuts on systems of travel we have come to depend on. On the one hand, the experience on the trains can be improved in the future – perhaps with better communication methods between the emergency services and drivers to inform passengers, or by constructing safe walkways along the tracks if the same thing were to happen again. On the other hand, buses and cars continue to run, taking extra precautions due to the lack of traffic lights, which could be prevented in the future by replacing them with solar-powered ones.

This event, being on such a large scale, is bound to make countries rethink their crisis management capabilities, taking into account the extensive presence and usage of technology in modern life, so that if the same thing were to happen again, emergency services and the countries’ infrastructure would be better prepared. As for the public, these outages also inspired a reflection of their dependence upon the systems that run on electricity, where the European Commission’s urgings to develop precautionary methods for dealing with similar crises seem much more reasonable. However, they must appreciate people’s capacity for kindness, unity and resilience in these moments, and the connection we have to others that doesn’t require internet access.