Power outage

What to do in case of power failure?

Power outages can happen unexpectedly and can range from a small, local outage to a large-scale nationwide outage. In the Netherlands, we are used to a stable electricity network, but even here it can happen that the power goes out temporarily. There are various causes and it is important to be prepared so that you can act quickly in any situation.

Local power outage

Local power outages are the most common and can have several causes, such as:

• Weather conditions : Heavy storms, thunderstorms or lightning strikes can damage power lines and cause short circuits.
• Infrastructure problems : Work on the electricity cables, technical faults or defects in local transformer stations can lead to temporary outages.
• Accidents : Damage to power lines due to excavation work or traffic accidents can disrupt the power supply in a certain area.

In the case of local power outages, the impact is usually limited to a neighborhood or a small area. In these types of situations, the outage often lasts from a few minutes to hours. Grid operators such as Liander and Enexis work hard to resolve these problems as quickly as possible.

Nationwide power outage

Although rare, a nationwide power outage can have much greater consequences. This happens when a fault occurs in the high-voltage network that supplies large parts of the Netherlands with electricity. Some possible causes of a nationwide outage are:

• Disruptions in the high-voltage grid : Problems at one of the major power plants or faults in the national high-voltage grid can lead to a chain reaction in which several regions are left without power.
• Cyber ​​attacks : Modern electricity grids are increasingly managed via digital systems, which makes them vulnerable to cyber attacks. A well-coordinated attack on the grid can have major consequences.
• European grid problems : The Netherlands is connected to the European electricity grid. Disruptions in neighboring countries can spread to the Netherlands and cause outages in large areas.

A nationwide power outage can last from hours to days, depending on the cause and complexity of the problem. This can disrupt critical services such as communications, water pumping, and even fuel delivery.

What can you do?

In the event of a power outage, it is essential to be prepared. Always have an emergency kit with the essential items as provided in the 72 hour emergency kit.