What is a blackout? How can you prepare for it?
Blackout, or a sudden power outage, is a dangerous phenomenon that occurs from time to time in various parts of Europe and the world. Especially prolonged blackouts have serious consequences — they can disrupt the operations of hospitals, hinder the functioning of transportation or public services, and cause problems in residents' daily lives.
Read this guide to learn what a blackout is, what its causes are, and why it poses a real threat in Europe. Also, find out how to prepare for a blackout and what useful items are worth gathering in advance at home.
Blackout — phenomenon definition and causes
A blackout is a sudden and widespread power outage caused by a loss of voltage in the power grid. It is not a regular failure because it affects a large area and lasts from several minutes to several days or even weeks. The range can cover districts, cities, or even an entire country. Characteristic features of a blackout:
- sudden and unplanned power outage,
- covers a wide area (districts, cities, regions, or even the entire country),
- can last from a few minutes to several days or weeks,
- often has serious consequences for infrastructure and residents,
- causes economic and financial losses.
The causes of a blackout can be numerous. Most often it results from a failure in the power system, for example, damage to transmission networks, transformer stations, or power plants. Extreme weather conditions such as heavy storms, gales, heavy snowfall, or heat waves that overload the grid often also contribute to its occurrence. Other causes of a blackout include:
- natural disasters: earthquakes, floods, fires,
- unintentional technical errors caused by human error,
- deliberate human actions: terrorist attacks, cyberattacks on energy infrastructure,
- aging energy infrastructure and random failures.
Blackout in Europe — what is the real threat?
Blackouts in Europe occur from time to time. However, a particularly serious example is the recent blackout in Spain and Portugal, considered the largest of its kind in Europe in years. On April 28, 2025, the entire Spain was deprived of electricity, and the outage quickly spread to the Portuguese energy system. The power outage lasted from a few to even several hours, depending on the region.
This was a very dangerous phenomenon as it caused serious disruptions to the functioning of critical infrastructure — including airports and other public transportation, communication systems, and connectivity. In many places, there was a stoppage of trains and subways, elevators in buildings, and problems with Internet access and banking services. Other blackouts that have occurred in Europe over the years include:
- On September 28, 2003, almost the entire territory of Italy and part of Switzerland were without electricity. The cause of the failure was the automatic shutdown of a transmission line in Switzerland around 3:00 a.m., due to its overload. The blackout lasted about 12 hours and affected an area inhabited by nearly 60 million people.
- On April 8, 2008, in Szczecin, a severe power outage occurred. The incident was caused by heavy snowfall, which led to the shutdown of four high-voltage lines. Energy supply in Szczecin was fully restored only on April 10 around 11:00 a.m., while in surrounding municipalities, it took up to five days to address the outage.
- On July 4, 2025, a blackout occurred in the Czech Republic, lasting several hours. The outages affected six out of fourteen regions of the country. The incident was caused by the breakage of a phase wire on the V411 transmission line, leading to an imbalance in the grid and automatic shutdown of power stations.
As an interesting fact, the largest blackout in history outside of Europe occurred in 2012, affecting up to 600 million people in India. The cause of the failure was network overload and insufficient energy infrastructure. The duration of the power outages varied by region, with a blackout lasting about 13.5 hours in one area, while in other places, the effects were felt for up to two days.
How to prepare for a blackout? — check the list of essential items
It's worth stockpiling supplies at home that may prove useful during a prolonged power outage. When such a situation occurs, as it happens both in Europe and worldwide — you'll be prepared and avoid unnecessary panic.
How to prepare for a blackout? — list of items
Below we will also present more detailed selected products from this list that are worth preparing for a blackout.
Water and food supply
This is an absolute foundation. It's best to stockpile water in tanks, for example, in the basement if possible. Water will be needed not only for drinking but also for washing and cooking. As for food, military canned food and freeze-dried food are good choices as they are highly nutritious, take up little space, and often only need to be poured with hot or even cold water.
A popular product for crisis situations is the Seven Oceans food rations which have a shelf life of up to 5 years from the production date. They contain 18 blocks arranged in 9 bar-shaped tablets. In addition, it's worth stockpiling such supplies at home as rice, groats, pasta, hardtack, preserves, and other durable products.
Emergency lighting
This is a very important issue during a blackout — without lighting, performing daily tasks is difficult, and in some rooms, such as the bathroom or basement, it is completely dark even during the day. It is worth having a headlamp or handheld flashlight, spare batteries, as well as candles or a kerosene lamp. Matches or a lighter are also essential. Ideally, the flashlight should have high luminous power, e.g., around 3000 lumens, as it will also be useful when going out at night.
Emergency power sources
It is worth having a power bank at home in case of a blackout. Of course, it won't be enough to power large devices, but it will allow for multiple charges of a phone, laptop, or other small electronic devices. It's best to choose a power bank with a large capacity, for example, 4000 mAh, which allows for multiple smartphone charges.
A good addition is a solar panel, which allows you to charge devices without access to the power grid, as it uses solar energy. This way, you can maintain the operation of a phone, flashlight, or other small equipment during a prolonged blackout.
Radiocommunication
For a blackout, it is also worth preparing an emergency radio. Many models run on batteries, a crank, or solar energy, making them independent from the power grid. A radio allows tracking weather warnings, city situations, and safety recommendations.
Emergency backpack, or BOB
Some people, instead of stockpiling large reserves, choose an emergency backpack, which is useful not only during evacuation but also in crisis situations such as a blackout. You can buy an empty backpack and top it up yourself or immediately choose an emergency backpack with equipment.
More information about the emergency backpack can be found in our guide — Emergency backpack — complete equipment list for crisis time.
What to remember in the event of a blackout?
In the event of a prolonged blackout, it is important to remember a few key rules. First of all, you should disconnect all important electronic devices from the sockets to protect them from damage caused by sudden voltage surges when power is restored. After the power is turned back on, it is worth only activating necessary devices and lighting to avoid overloading the network and excessive energy consumption. Care should also be taken with:
- Communication plan with loved ones — set meeting place or contact hours (since the mobile network may only partially work).
- Securing the apartment — lack of electricity often means no intercoms, alarms, or staircase lighting, so it is worth being particularly cautious.
- Securing the refrigerator and freezer — do not open them unnecessarily to maintain a lower temperature for longer and avoid food spoilage.
- Saving phone coverage — disable mobile data and leave the phone in 2G/3G mode to extend its operating time.
Product offer for blackout at MILITARY
In our store, you will find a special Blackout category, which includes all the necessary items for a sudden power outage. We offer: flashlights, candles, emergency radios, long-term food, tools, and many other practical products. Prepare for any situation and ensure comfort and safety for yourself and your family today!
