Austrian minister warns of possible power outage across Europe

The price of electricity in Spain and Portugal on Monday, May 2

The price of electricity in Spain and Portugal on Monday, May 2.

Austrian Defence Minister warns of possible power outage across Europe

Klaudia Tanner, the Austrian Defence Minister has already given advance warning. After having supervised military manoeuvres and actions, there is a high possibility of an electrical blackout that will affect services such as computers, mobile phones, and electricity supplies in homes. The blackout would not only take place in Austria but would be widespread throughout Europe.

According to La Razon, Klaudia Tanner asserted that the question was not whether there was going to be a blackout, but rather that “the question is when it will be”. She has also stated that this danger is “underestimated by all” when it could have catastrophic consequences.

In order to raise awareness among the population, the Austrian government has decided to launch an awareness campaign that will run throughout the month. Not only will it run in the media, but thousands of posters have also been distributed to Austrian cities. The minister also wanted to promote it on her social networks.

The slogan of the campaign is “What to do when everything stops”, and it seeks to raise awareness among the population about what measures to take when the blackout occurs. Advice about buying enough food for several days, having fuel, candles, batteries, and plenty of drinking water, is given. Another effective measure would be to agree on a meeting point with family and friends and try to collaborate with the neighbors as much as possible it says.

This blackout can cause traffic lights, ATMs, telephones, and the internet to stop working. It would not be the first time, this has already occurred in 1989, in Quebec, Canada. The authorities never confirmed any specific cause, simply suggesting it may be due to technical failures, system malfunctions, or overloads due to demand peaks.

Austria has already put a plan in motion so that by 2025 all its barracks will be self-sufficient. Lieutenant Colonel Pierre Kugelweis explained to Efe that in the event of a similar incident, the barracks would be a support base for firefighters, health workers, and other organisations.

Kugelweis stated that “from 2025 there should be sufficient barracks in all the federal states to guarantee the Army’s response in the event of a blackout”. He said the military believes that “in the event of a blackout, the main task of the Armed Forces is to supply and support other emergency organizations”.

According to national media, it is not the first time that the Austrian army has got a prediction right. In 2017 they spoke of a possible pandemic that would paralyse the world in the next decade, something that ended up coming true, as reported by 20minutos.es.

___________________________________________________________

Thank you for reading, and don’t forget to check The Euro Weekly News for all your up-to-date local and international news stories, and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Written by

Chris King

Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com

Comments


    • Sean

      27 October 2021 • 19:35

      “This blackout can cause traffic lights, ATMs, telephones, and the internet to stop working. It would not be the first time, this has already occurred in 1989, in Quebec, Canada. The authorities never confirmed any specific cause, simply suggesting it may be due to technical failures, system malfunctions, or overloads due to demand peaks.”

      The 1989 event is extemely well understood, analysed, and issues mitigated. If a major event does occur, post-blackout system restoration is studied and dry-runs performed at regular intervals so we can get everything back in action quickly. The article makes it sound like governments and power grid companies never thought about or planned for this.

    • Sean

      27 October 2021 • 19:35

      “This blackout can cause traffic lights, ATMs, telephones, and the internet to stop working. It would not be the first time, this has already occurred in 1989, in Quebec, Canada. The authorities never confirmed any specific cause, simply suggesting it may be due to technical failures, system malfunctions, or overloads due to demand peaks.”

      The 1989 event is extemely well understood, analysed, and issues mitigated. If a major event does occur, post-blackout system restoration is studied and dry-runs performed at regular intervals so we can get everything back in action quickly. The article makes it sound like governments and power grid companies never thought about or planned for this.

    • Martin

      30 October 2021 • 11:52

      How can you predict a blackout that will happen soon(maybe) and can’t we do anything to avoid it?

    • Martin

      30 October 2021 • 11:52

      How can you predict a blackout that will happen soon(maybe) and can’t we do anything to avoid it?

    • john

      01 November 2021 • 17:24

      They will blame crypto mining :))) ahahahaha

    • john

      01 November 2021 • 17:24

      They will blame crypto mining :))) ahahahaha

    • Sfronzen Warren

      05 November 2021 • 09:40

      Because maybe that somebody know in advance something that we don’t know! Or even is planning to do in such a way that will occur.

    • Sfronzen Warren

      05 November 2021 • 09:40

      Because maybe that somebody know in advance something that we don’t know! Or even is planning to do in such a way that will occur.

    • Mike Holden, near Zurgena Almeria.

      10 November 2021 • 21:44

      The possible culprit will be 93 million miles away. Nature can throw the occasional “wobbly” at times. Solar magnetic storms can knock out the power supply grids that most of us rely on to provide our electricity.

    • Mike Holden, near Zurgena Almeria.

      10 November 2021 • 21:44

      The possible culprit will be 93 million miles away. Nature can throw the occasional “wobbly” at times. Solar magnetic storms can knock out the power supply grids that most of us rely on to provide our electricity.

    Comments are closed.