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civil defence
Austria

What to do if
the power goes out?
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

01
What is a blackout?
S.7 How do I recognize a S.8 How does a blackout work? S.9 Selected blackout
blackout? events
S.8 How does a blackout occur?
S.7 What is affected by a
blackout?

02
Power supply in Austria and Europe
S.14 Basic rules of our network S.16 Security of supply in Austria

03
How can I prepare?
S.19 How prepared are you? S.22 In the household

S.21 What to do in the event of a blackout? S.23 in the community

Imprint
Austrian Civil Defense Association
Grünangergasse 8/5
1010 Vienna
office@zivilschutz.at
ZVR: 749846860
UID: ATU59083119
Edited by Joseph Farda
Graphic: Delia Lundström
Print: Druck.at
Photos: ÖZSV, iFoto This project is funded by the
Stand: September 2022 Federal Ministry of the Interior.

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INTRODUCTION
In recent years, the scenario of a blackout, an unexpected
and large-scale power failure with serious consequences,
has become more and more present.
The rise of renewable energies (particularly photovoltaics
and wind energy) is making our electricity grids more
volatile as electricity generation is not always constant.

Meanwhile, energy is transported over long distances

(often across several countries) in the European power grid
every day. This puts additional strain on the network
infrastructure.

Under these circumstances, a collapse in our power supply

seems more likely than ever. But there is no need to panic,
because our network operators work on our security of
supply every day.

We therefore state at the outset that:

Austria has a well-developed network infrastructure,

modern surveillance systems and many years of practice
experience with blackout scenarios.
Energy producers and grid operators are aware of the
issue and are doing their utmost to prevent a blackout.

Nevertheless, a failure in Austria or another European

country cannot be completely ruled out. So there is always
a residual risk.

What this guide offers you:

On the following pages you will find basic information about

how a blackout occurs, how it occurs and how to behave
correctly. You will also find out how you can best prepare
for this special scenario.

You can find more general information on preparing for

crisis situations in our products on the topic of “crisis-
proof households”.

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Chapter
4
one
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What is a blackout?

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What is a blackout?
Let's start with the definition of a "classic"
power failure to:

“A power outage is a regional and temporary interruption to the power

supply. The overall system is still functional.”
1

In the event of a power failure, the energy supply can be restored quickly
because no large-scale damage occurs. This usually only takes a few
A blackout is a
minutes to hours.
major disruption in
the entire power
"A major disruption occurs when parts of the transmission system or
grid with a very low
probability and
the entire distribution system lack voltage." 1
potentially high
levels of damage.2
The restoration takes longer, since only again
Electricity is brought to the connection points
got to.

"A blackout is a major disruption with serious damage." 1

Not only does recovery take longer, it may also be prevented by damage
to grid infrastructure or power plants. Further effects can occur in public
life. A blackout can last from a few hours to a few days (or even weeks).
This guide provides you with basic information about how a blackout
occurs, how it occurs and how to behave correctly. You will also find out
how you can best prepare for this special scenario.

generation transmission distribution

1
Secure power supply and blackout prevention in Austria. Developments, risks and possible protective measures. (2022).
[final report]. Institute for Technology Assessment (ITA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences; Austrian Institute of
Technology (AIT). p. 19f.
2
Ebd. S. 22.

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How do I recognize a blackout?

How do I recognize a blackout?

1. No electricity in the area/neighborhood

2. Cell phone and/or landline are out
3. A blackout is reported on the radio

What is affected by a blackout?

•
traffic public

•
traffic private vehicle

•
communication traffic public
Logistics traffic private

•
Food

•
Trade

•
Medical care (medication)
Logistics Food Agriculture
•
Medical care (hospitals)

•
water

•
sewage

Medical •
Production Trade
care heating

•
finance

(Withdraw money, transfer, bank card)

•
Production (in factories, agriculture etc.)

water sewage heating

payment transactions medication cooling

Depending on where you live, the availability of certain services may differ
from this listing!

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How does a blackout occur?

There areblackout
reasons:can
environmental influences,
different technical or human error,
accidents or even sabotage.

Our power grid can also be described as the largest machine in the The main causes of
world. Billions of devices consume electricity that is transported over power failures are the
many kilometers. The larger a system is, the more error-prone it is. A "3 Bs": tree, lightning
tree falling into a high-voltage power line can have a major impact. & excavator.

Exactly as much electricity must always be produced as is currently

being consumed. If the difference between generation and consumption
is too great, the grid can collapse. If there is an error at one point, an
attempt is made to compensate for it.

However, these countermeasures can lead to so-called "cascade

effects", in which there is a chain of shutdowns for safety reasons.

Once the power grid has been shut down (de-energized), it can only be
rebuilt slowly and step by step.

How does a blackout work?

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

hours take Sweet

Phase 1
No electricity - total standstill

Phase 2
No communication, deadlock

Phase 3
Infrastructure and supply restarted

A blackout can also last much shorter or longer than specified here.

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Selected blackout events

To give you a sense of how a blackout and similar events can
occur and how long it can take to fix, here's a breakdown of
selected events:

North America 2003 - classic cascading effect

B During a severe heat wave in North America, the load on the
distribution network rose sharply. On the one hand due to the
temperatures themselves, on the other hand due to the high
number of air conditioning systems and the resulting high power consumption.

Due to the overload of a local power plant, it failed. Therefore, to

supply the Cleveland region, more electricity had to be transported
from other regions via lines that were already under load. At the
same time, the control systems failed, which meant that it was not
possible to notice quickly enough that one of the overheated high-
voltage lines had come into contact with trees and caused a short
circuit.

The current was now conducted along a different path.

The heavier load on the alternative routes led to another line
overheating, which also sank into a forest due to thermal expansion
and short-circuited.
This problem was subsequently repeated. Due to the failure of
lines, the current looked for other routes and overloaded other
lines. In addition, automatic emergency systems recognized this
development and separated further sections from the network.
This whole process was a classic cascade effect.

Reason: Overload, poor maintenance & lack

of coordination

failures: > 400 lines shut down

531 generators in 285 power plants

Affected: 50 million people Northern

USA & Canada (including
major cities)

Duration: 24 hours to 2 days

(occasionally)

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Germany 2006 – Blackout averted

D Cruise ship lines pass, a secure
In order to let two high-voltage underlines was
throttling of these
planned. Due to a change in the schedule and coordination problems,
power generation and grid capacities could not be adjusted in good time.

There was a cascading effect that led to a major disruption and ultimately
split the European electricity grid into several areas. In Austria, the network
was separated between West and East. However, it could be synchronized
again after three quarters of an hour.

Reason: Human error & lack of

redundancy

failures: 2 high voltage lines

Affected: 15 million people

Large parts of Europe (AT, D, F, B, IT, ES)

Duration: A few minutes up to 2 hours

Croatia 2021 - Division in the European interconnected grid

F Due to an incident in a Croatian power plant, the frequency increased and
a protective mechanism was triggered in a substation. As a result of this
effect, the flow of electricity was shifted and the alternative routes were
overloaded.

There were different grid frequencies and the interconnected grid was
divided into a northern and a southern part.
The cascade could be stopped and the two power supplies synchronized
again.

Reason: Technical failure

failures: 14 lines

Affected: No people
Power grids in several countries

Duration: 1-2 hours

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take

hours

minutes

A BCD IF
minutes hours take

A Brazil 1999 D Germany 2006

B North America 2003 AND South America 2019

C Germany 2005 F Croatia 2021

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chapter
12
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Power supply in
Austria and Europe
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You can imagine the power grid like a road network: motorways,
expressways, federal roads, state roads, municipal roads or
private roads.
Electricity always seeks the easiest route from the producer to
the consumer.

We live in a European electricity network system in which the

electricity producers help each other out again and again,
subject to certain conditions, so that the European grid also
works. The APG (Austrian Power Grid), the Austrian
transmission system operator with the power generators,
regulates the flow of electricity for most of Austria.3

There are 44 such transmission system operators in Europe,

which are networked with each other and regulate the flow of
electricity. There is no general isolated solution for individual
states.

This network has many advantages, but also disadvantages.

Certain basic rules apply here:

1. A basic rule for power grids is that exactly as much electricity

must be fed into the grid as is currently being consumed.
Technically, there are no large storage systems, so the
electricity can be fed from them without being produced.

3
Due to the geographic location, Vorarlberg has its own network
operator, the VÜN.
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2. The second basic rule is that the power grid can

tolerate a fluctuation range of approx. +- 0.2 Hertz.
This means that the current flows in our lines at
The mains 50 Hertz and can vary from 49.8 to 50.2 Hertz.
frequency Should disruptions occur, APG will attempt to
indicates how
often our current stabilize the power grid via the power generators.
changes direction
per second (alternating current).
3. The third basic rule is that if all attempts at
This number is
European stabilization fail, the current is
given in units of Hertz deliberately shut down at 51.5 or 47.5 Hertz, with
(Hz).
the essential main reason that no major hardware
damage occurs in the electrical systems. Because
if this should also be the case, it would be much
more difficult to start up the European network
again.

Simplified representation of
the extra-high voltage lines in
Austria and their connections to
neighboring countries.

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Security of supply in
Austria
On average, the electricity in an Austrian household only
fails for around 50 minutes a year. Austria is one of the
countries with the most reliable power supply in the world.

Nevertheless, even a short failure is often enough to cause

damage to electrical devices. There can be many reasons
for power outages. First: There are so-called atmospheric
effects, including thunderstorms, storms, ice, snow, Austria has a
freezing rain, cold, heat, but also avalanches or earth and modern
rock slides. network infrastructure.
Nevertheless,
Second: external influences caused by humans or animals, a blackout
intentional or not. But technical faults or maintenance work can never be
can also lead to an interruption in supply. Excavators often completely
cause local power failures when they cut through ruled out.
underground cables during excavation work.

And then, thirdly , there are extremely rare events that

can have all the more serious consequences for the
electricity infrastructure. Triggers are, for example, an
earthquake or even a terrorist or cyber attack.
It should also be borne in mind that the actual event may
be far outside of Austria, but cascading effects can lead to
large-scale power failures. The Austrian security of supply
therefore depends not only on the Austrian infrastructure
and the precautionary measures taken in this country, but
also on the state of the pan-European interconnected
system.

The Austrian power grid is around 260,000 km long, so

there are of course a multitude of possibilities that can
lead to a power failure.
Around 70 percent of the electricity comes from hydropower,
only around 10 percent from fossil fuels such as coal or
gas.

This puts Austria among the three best nations in the EU

when it comes to CO2 emissions in power generation. An
increasingly important role
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include not only small hydroelectric power plants but also

wind and photovoltaic systems. For example, the output of
photovoltaic systems for domestic power generation is to
be increased tenfold over the next few years.

However, this also entails new requirements and challenges

for the power grid. In addition, the low electricity price in
recent years is delaying investments across the EU, thereby
increasing the risk of failure.

In the event of a longer-term blackout, there is a mandatory

stockpile of mineral oil throughout the EU, which covers a
standard requirement of around 90 days. With the
commissioning of caloric power plants and emergency
power generators, the supply can be guaranteed for a much shorter tim
One problem, however, is that very few tank farms have
their own emergency power supply.

In order to be optimally prepared for all eventualities, there

is a 380 kV high-voltage ring in Austria, which crosses the
Through the 380 kV federal states of Salzburg, Upper and Lower Austria,
high voltage ring Burgenland, Styria and Carinthia.
will be high This achieves a high level of failsafety because every point
Reliability achieved on the ring is supplied from two sides. This ring is possible,
in Austria among other things, because both the largest electricity
producers and consumers are located along this ring.

The energy transition towards a decentralized and based

on system
power supply renewable
not only holds great opportunities,
energies also some but
risks.

The so-called European "energy-only market", which takes

no account of physical and infrastructural requirements, is
also leading to an increasing infrastructural burden. It
therefore makes sense to prepare for possible major
disruptions or a possible Europe-wide power and
infrastructure failure ("blackout").

As with any change process, incidents can also occur here.

It's only bad if you rule that out from the start or don't
prepare for it.

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chapter
three
How can I prepare?

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How can I prepare?

more detailed Any crisis scenario is more manageable if your household

About is properly prepared. Be it an unexpected visitor, a power
your individual failure, a roadblock due to flooding, storms or avalanches,
receive care or quarantine measures or nuclear incidents: the basic
you in our recipe for your crisis preparedness always remains the
subject area
same:
"Crisis parties."
Household"
1. Think about what scenarios
may affect you
Candles and other fuels
have a high fire risk. 2. Build appropriate inventories

Therefore, give preference 3. Discuss your plans with your household and
to other light sources such those around you
as LEDs!
4. Check your household regularly

We recommend that you plan for at least

10-14 days!

How prepared are you? Check your

personal status. Take your time and deal with the next
points. This allows you to identify weak points and rectify
any deficiencies.

Do you know where water, gas and electricity can be shut

off? Find out what precautions have been taken in your
community regarding water supply and sanitation?

Consider whether you need backup power provisions (e.g.

farming). Generator sets are not recommended for private
households due to the cost of purchasing reliable
equipment and the additional risk of fire from storing large
amounts of fuel. In addition, there is a risk of carbon
monoxide if handled incorrectly.

However, photovoltaic systems with storage are

recommended.

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How can you alert emergency services? Is there a self-

help base or similar organization that you can turn to for
help in an emergency?

Are there enough spare lights, flashlights and batteries?

Prefer light sources without fire! LED lights have a long
burn time and, unlike candles, do not pose a major fire
hazard.

Is there a way to cook without electricity?

Keep cash on hand so that you can possibly buy from a

self-marketer.

Does the household have an independent radio?

If necessary, turn on the radio and receive information.
Alternatively, you can also use your car radio.

Do you have a telephone list with the most important

emergency numbers for family members, neighbors,
pharmacy, dentist and family doctor?

Family reunification: Arrange meeting points in case of a

blackout, e.g. are children picked up from school or do
they come home themselves? Do all family members know
about these plans?

At work, talk about whether you're needed during a

blackout or whether you can stay home.
simply take precautions,
with security and
SIMPLY PRECAUTIONS,
quality
WITH SECURITY
& QUALITY

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WHAT TO DO IN CASE
OF A BLACKOUT?

Keep calm!

Check whether only your house/

Your neighborhood is affected. If you see
illumination, it is probably not a blackout.

Do not call 911 numbers unless it is a vital emergency.

Switch on your battery, crank or car radio and wait for

messages.

Inform your family members (preferably via

SMS).

Turn off or unplug any equipment that was

operating when the blackout occurred.
Leave a lamp on to see the end of the situation.

Alternatively: Take your house or apartment

off the grid as a whole.

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IN THE HOUSEHOLD

Check your water supplies and top up if

necessary.

Check your water supply. If there is no running

water, you cannot flush a toilet. Alternatively,
use emergency toilet bags.

Have flashlights and other sources of

light ready, as well as an emergency cooking area.

Eliminate possible tripping hazards in

your home.

Check your stock of medicines Check how

long the necessary funds will last and how
they need to be stored.

Stay at home unless you are needed

(infrastructure, emergency organizations).

Keep an eye on freezers and watch out for

any leaking liquids. Open all cooling devices
as little as possible.

Consume perishable foods.

Avoid waste. Collect any waste in bags.

Animals may require special care. For

example, check the heat and oxygen supply
in your aquarium.

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IN THE COMMUNITY
Avoid unnecessary car trips and be careful with fuel.

If you have one, check the elevator in your building

for people who are stuck.

Stay in touch with your neighbors and think

about next steps together based on the recommendations
of the authorities.

Check whether there are people in your area who

need help (e.g. people in need of care or sick people
who can no longer be reached by nursing staff or
meals-on-wheels.)

WHAT TO
DO AFTER
WHAT A BLACKOUT?
TO DO AFTER A BLACKOUT?

Check that recently turned on appliances are

turned off (stove, iron, hair dryer, etc.).

Only turn on devices that you absolutely need.

Check important devices for functionality.

Don't avoid important calls.

Stay at home unless otherwise necessary.

Continue to be careful with your resources.

Help out in your neighborhood if needed.

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Your local contacts:

Burgenland Civil Protection Association Styrian Civil Protection Association

Hartlsteig 2, 7000 Eisenstadt Tel. Florianistraße 24, 8403 Lebring Tel.

02682/63 62 0 office@bzsv.at 03182/7000 733 zivilschutz.office@stzsv.at
www.bzsv.at www.zivilschutz.steiermark.at

Carinthian Civil Protection Association Tyrolean civil protection association

House of Security Eduard-Wallnöfer-Platz 3, 6020 Innsbruck Tel.

Rosenegger Straße 20, 9020 Klagenfurt Tel. 0512/508 2262 tirol@zivilschutz.at www.siz.cc/tirol
050/536 570 80 civil protection association@ktn.gv.at
www.siz.cc/kaernten

Lower Austrian civil protection association Vorarlberg Civil Protection Association

Langenlebarner Straße 106, 3430 Tulln Tel. Landhaus, Römerstraße 15, 6900 Bregenz Tel.
02272/61 820 noezsv@noezsv.at www.noezsv.at 05574/511 211 60 office@zivilschutz-vorarlberg.at civil
protection-vorarlberg.at www.siz.cc/vorarlberg

Upper Austrian civil protection association The helpers of Vienna

Petzoldstraße 41, 4020 Linz Tel. Hermanngasse 24, 1070 Wien Tel.
0732/65 24 36 office@zivilschutz- 01/522 33 44 diehelferwiens@wien.gv.at
ooe.at www.zivilschutz-ooe.at www.diehelferwiens.at

Salzburg Civil Protection Association

Karolingerstraße 32, 5020 Salzburg Tel.

0662/83 999 office@szsv.at www.szsv.at

zivilschutz.at
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