UAE's former resident recalls chaos post power outage in Spain, Portugal

'Many families are now stocking up on battery-operated appliances and food items to avoid being caught in a similar situation in future'

- SM Ayaz Zakir and Nasreen Abdulla

For former UAE resident Femina Naseer, Monday was a chaotic experience.

The mother of four was one of the thousands affected by power outages in Lisbon for over nine hours.

“The power went out around 11.30am,” she told Khaleej Times. “Initially, we thought it was just our building, but soon everyone in our group started saying they also faced power outage. Our phone signal stayed for two hours. So I could communicate with my husband, who was out at the time. Luckily, all four of my children were at home.”

The outage brought parts of Spain and Portugal to a standstill, grounding planes, halting public transport and leaving the two countries scrambling to restore power to millions of homes and businesses.

According to her, there was sheer chaos on the streets as well. “When the traffic lights went out, my husband was caught in the mayhem. But within half an hour, people began getting out and controlling the traffic themselves,” she said. “The airport really suffered. The petrol stations also stopped working. It was really a one-of-a-kind experience.”