Competing for water and resources forms geographical divisions on the planet Gaia
In the midst of a massive power outage on April 28, 2025, both Spain and Portugal were left scrambling to cope with disrupted services and infrastructure.
Finding herself caught in the chaos, Andreia, a 41-year-old resident, raced to a supermarket as soon as the issue wasn't confined to just one country. Her shopping expedition turned into a marathon as it took her an hour just to reach the checkout.
Tiago, a 31-year-old, embarked on a journey to a hypermarket in Gaia an hour without power, with no inkling of when the problem would be resolved. A lack of functioning traffic lights made the drive a bumpy ride, according to Tiago. He patiently waited in line for 15 minutes, unsure of how much longer it would take to pay for his groceries.
In a similar predicament, Aline, a 25-year-old shopper, had been standing in line for 30 minutes with water, bread, and canned goods. The long line and lack of space caused shelves to be emptied, with some already bare by 14:30.
With the pharmacy ceasing operations at 11:30, the lack of power meant that it couldn't function. However, the ATM at the newsstand was still humming, allowing customers to purchase cigarettes. Unfortunately, the World Needs Nata stand had pastries piling up, unable to sell them due to the cold and the absence of warmth to reheat them.
The power outage has wreaked havoc on continental Portugal and Spain since 11:30, according to REN - Redes Energéticas Nacionais. Predicting when power will be fully restored is impossible, as the operation to restore service will be gradual and complex, they warned.
As for other developments, Pedro Nuno has proposed postponing a debate with Montenegro scheduled for the same day due to the widespread chaos.
Insights from the situation revealed that Spain and Portugal experienced a cascade of crises. Traffic and transportation were severely affected, with the collapse of public transit systems and traffic light failures paralyzing entire cities. Critical services like healthcare and telecommunications also faced disruptions, although the supermarket situation wasn't explicitly detailed in reports. The sheer scale of the power loss points towards widespread commercial impacts, including closures and supply-chain interruptions.
- Despite the chaos of the power outage, some general-news stands managed to keep their ATMs functional, enabling customers to purchase essential items like cigarettes.
- Tiago, a resident of Gaia, braved the bumpy ride through un functioning traffic lights, taking an hour to reach a hypermarket in search of food-and-drink.
- The power outage on April 28, 2025, not only crippled critical services like healthcare and telecommunications but also resulted in a French supermarket marathon for shoppers like Andreia, who were unable to find basic necessities.
- Aline, a 25-year-old shopper, waited in line for 30 minutes, hoping to secure water, bread, and canned goods before the shelves emptied completely.
- With such a large-scale power loss affecting both continental Portugal and Spain, many businesses, including World Needs Nata's pastry stand, were unable to sell their perishable food-and-drink products due to the cold and the absence of warmth to reheat them.
