What a day! Today’s massive #blackout across #Spain and #Portugal instantly transported me back to August 15, 2003, when I was on assignment with Swiss Re, relocated from Zurich to New York for a project. Imagine this: just two years after 9/11, I’m in a bustling upstate New York office, surrounded by rows of cubicles and the ever-present hum of neon lights.

Suddenly, everything stopped. My call was cut off mid-sentence. The red lights on the phones blinked out. The overhead lights faded, and a strange hush fell over the office. In that moment, uncertainty took over-was this another attack? No one could reach the outside world; all communications were down. Trains weren’t running. The city that never sleeps was eerily still.

With no news and no way home but my own two feet, I decided to set out for my hotel in downtown Manhattan-1.5 hours away by public transport, now paralyzed. The only certainty was uncertainty itself. I grabbed some water and bananas and started the long trek, not knowing what I’d find.

But here’s the twist: what could have been a dramatic and stressful time turned into an amazing experience. I managed to hop on a few buses, and everywhere I went, people were surprisingly friendly. There was a surreal, almost “end of the world” feeling in the air, but instead of panic, there was #camaraderie. Strangers shared drinks, played guitar in the streets, and helped each other out. The city came together in the most unexpected way.

There was a lot of rumours on what had happened, but it’s only after quite a while that I got the information: A single power line in northern Ohio brushed against overgrown trees, triggering a chain reaction that exposed critical weaknesses in the grid’s monitoring and coordination. Within minutes, what began as a routine summer afternoon spiraled into a historic blackout, plunging over 50 million people across the US and Canada into darkness.

Today’s blackout across Iberia brought back all those feelings: the sudden silence, the collective confusion, and, most importantly, the incredible mutual aid and #fraternity that emerges when we face challenges together. It’s in these moments that we see the true strength of our communities.

My thoughts are with everyone affected today-I’m wishing you all to be safe and a swift return to normalcy.

#Resilience, #adaptability, and community spirit are what carry us through.