Disarray during blackout: scarcity of water - Spanish citizens raid supermarkets
Power Outage Panic Buying Soars in Spain and Portugal
A heavy power outage plunging Spain, Portugal, and parts of southwestern France has sent households into a buying frenzy due to water shortages caused by electric pumps. Empty supermarket shelves filled with water depict this surging demand.
According to Sky News, consumers initially hoarded cheaper bottled water, gradually venturing towards expensive brands and sparkling varieties. To combat these shortages, some supermarkets have implemented sales limits, limiting purchases to five units of water per person, as signified by a notice in a supermarket aisle.
In the aftermath of the widespread outage, work is ongoing to restore power. Reportedly, power has been restored in regions like Catalonia, Aragon, the Basque Country, Galicia, Asturias, Navarre, Castile and León, Extremadura, and Andalusia, as reported by Red Eléctrica. Earlier, the operator announced that several areas in the north, south, and west of the peninsula had their power back.
The outage struck on a Monday afternoon, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for an emergency government meeting in Madrid. The public were advised to remain indoors to avoid traffic gridlock.
Remember that the power outage transpired on April 28, 2025, at 12:33 CEST, spanning mainland Portugal, peninsular Spain, Andorra, and parts of southwestern France[2]. The outage affected different areas for varying durations, with some continuing to struggle even the following day.
Unfortunately, a hospital in Setúbal, Portugal, reported no water supply, necessitating backup generators for critical divisions. However, there's no widespread information available regarding other water shortages beyond the hospital context. The absence of power would likely exacerbate water supply issues in affected areas with treatment and distribution systems.
The power outage led to significant disruptions in transportation, including airport closures and flight cancellations[1]. This indirectly impacted economic activities leading to probable temporary sales restrictions.
During the recovery efforts, power was restored for more than half of the affected regions by the evening of the outage. However, smaller communities faced persisting issues beyond that point[3].
To stay updated on the recovery progress and any ongoing restrictions, you can tune into local news or official government announcements from Spain and Portugal.
- Household panic buying in Catalonia, Aragon, the Basque Country, Galicia, Asturias, Navarre, Castile and León, Extremadura, and Andalusia escalated due to water shortages caused by power outage-affected electric pumps.
- Empty supermarket shelves filled with empty bottled water and even sparkling varieties depict this surging demand for water in the affected regions of Spain and Portugal.
- Some supermarkets in these regions have implemented sales limits, limiting purchases to five units of water per person, due to the high demand caused by the power outage.
- Newspapers like general-news outlet Sky News reported that consumers initially hoarded cheaper bottled water, progressively moving to expensive brands and sparkling varieties.
- The power outage impacted the environment and caused climate-change concerns due to the disruptions in water treatment and distribution systems.
- The power outage also led to disruptions in crime-and-justice systems, as some affected areas experienced difficulties in maintaining law and order amidst the chaos.
