Power Outage in Western Europe: Crisis Expert Warns of Lack of Preparedness in Austria

After power outages occurred in parts of Spain, Portugal, and France on Monday, crisis preparedness expert Herbert Saurugg once again calls for better preparation. "The issue must finally be taken seriously," he told APA. The population and organizations need to know how to act in an emergency. He currently does not see the danger of the current outages spreading to Austria. However, longer outages would also have an impact on supply chains.

Far-reaching problems possible even after power outages

How far-reaching the consequences are depends on how long the power outage lasts and to what extent logistics are affected. If there is no electricity for several hours, it would be noticeable, for example, in the automotive industry, which also relies on "just-in-time production." Even when the outage is over, it may take longer for all systems to run again, as was shown at London's Heathrow Airport in March, according to Saurugg.

"Population must be able to help themselves": Supplies and guidelines needed in Austria

In a conversation with APA, Saurugg once again called for more preparation on an individual level, but also at the company level. "The population must be able to help themselves." Each individual should be able to provide for themselves for about two weeks. But companies and organizations also need to prepare better, for example with a guideline issued by the social partners on the topic. "Every organization should know what problems to expect and how to reduce damage," said Saurugg.

Better coordination and alignment are also needed at the national level, and the Court of Auditors criticized in January that there is no nationwide approach in the event of a blackout.

(APA/Red)

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