Could a Spain-Portugal–style power outage happen in the U.S.? Here's what the consequences could be

When a sudden, mass power outage recently struck Spain and Portugal, it took many by surprise and had experts scrambling for explanations, as per a report. Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, attributed that the outage had resulted from a "strong oscillation," but warned that no conclusions about the cause could be determined yet, according to a Weather.com report.

Could the US Face a Power Outage Like Spain and Portugal?

This massive blackout has led many Americans to wonder: could it happen here?

AccuWeather meteorologist Dan DePodwin explained the process and said it could happen in the United States, as per USA Today. During an interview with USA Today, DePodwin said that rapid changes in temperature or wind speed or a long period of extreme temperatures can lead to what he called "induced atmospheric vibrations," as per the USA Today report.


DePodwin said, "The atmosphere does something to induce vibrations in power lines, which can lead to outages," as quoted by USA Today. He said that it can occur "anywhere there are transmission lines," which also includes the United States, reported USA Today.

America’s Aging Power Grids

The United States gets electricity from three large grids, the Eastern Interconnection, the Western Interconnection, and the Texas grid, as per the Independent. They are linked to local networks, which are often outdated and under more pressure from escalating demand and severe weather, as per the report. Even with attempts to update them, dangers, from space, the climate, and cyberspace, remain on the rise, according to the Independent.

Brian Stone, director of the Urban Climate Lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology said, “I think it’s an absolute certainty that we will have an extreme heat wave and an extended blackout in the United States,” as quoted by the Independent.

The Potential Impact of a Widespread Blackout in the US

The consequences of such an outage are immense. In America, where much of life hangs on continuous power, from communication networks to public transit to hospitals, a sudden blackout across several states could be disastrous. Traffic systems would come to a standstill, air conditioning equipment might fail in the heat, and hospitals would have to rely on backup generators.

FAQs

What causes these types of sudden blackouts?
They can be caused by "induced atmospheric vibrations," which happen during sudden changes in temperature or wind speed.

Could the same type of blackout that hit Spain and Portugal happen in the US?
Yes. Experts say the atmospheric conditions that triggered the Spain and Portuga blackout could also affect American power lines.