The power outage left millions of people in Spain and Portugal without electricity, causing chaos and confusion throughout the day. People had to rely on cash, radios, tinned food, candles, and power banks to navigate through the blackout. Essential items like cash became crucial as shops switched to cash-only payments, leading to long queues at ATMs. The lack of communication due to the outage led people to rely on radios to get information and updates. Panic-buying of tinned food and non-perishable items ensued as people struggled to find food that didn’t require electricity to prepare. Candles and torches were used to light up homes and navigate through the darkness, with some even resorting to candle stovetops to heat up food. Power banks became essential to keep devices charged and connected during the blackout. Overall, the blackout highlighted the importance of being prepared for unexpected situations and having essential items on hand. “Entonces tener un par de libros habría sido útil,” dijo.
Pero para otros, no tener acceso a internet y a sus dispositivos fue un alivio.
“Todos dependen tanto de la tecnología que es bastante agradable recordar que se puede ser más independiente,” dijo Ed.
“No tienes que estar conectado con todos todo el tiempo,” dijo su compañera de piso Hannah Steiner, 23. “Estaba pasando un buen rato con mis compañeros de piso.”
Sara Francisco, 24, de Leiria, en el centro de Portugal, dijo: “Siento que esta cosa que sucedió fue importante para hacernos ser más conscientes y estar más conscientes sobre nuestros hábitos.”