A few weeks ago, large parts of Spain and Portugal went completely dark for more than half a day. No power, no WiFi, trains stopped mid-tunnel, networks crashed, food services halted... First World, European infrastructure, paralyzed!
It wasn’t a cyberattack or sabotage, but likely a climate-driven failure in the power grid. High-voltage transmission lines stretched across varying elevations experience rapid temperature fluctuations. These extremes, made worse by climate change, caused physical oscillations in the lines that triggered a cascading shutdown of distribution systems across Iberia.
This is what experts call a Black Swan Event - rare, unexpected, with a MASSIVE impact, and it’s not the first time something like this has happened. For instance:
- In 2001, 9/11 redefined global security, halted air travel, and forever altered how businesses manage geopolitical risk.
- In 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, crippling the island’s power grid and leaving thousands without basic services for months!
- In 2020, COVID-19 shut down borders, paralysed supply chains, and reminded the world how vulnerable we are to disruption.
- Just last year, MGM Resorts suffered a ransomware attack that shut down hotel operations, ATMs, slot machines, and even room access for days, costing the company over $100 million.
Despite the varied nature of these events, the outcome is the same: sudden, widespread disruption. Black Swan events don’t give notice. They strike fast, hit hard, and test every system your business depends on. While Trinidad may feel a world away from Europe or the U.S., we’re not immune. Think about the increasingly severe weather events the Caribbean has been experiencing, and about how heavily our systems rely on electricity and digital infrastructure. Do you remember our national blackout in 2022? Were you ready then? If disaster strikes tomorrow, can your business take the hit? This is not about panic. It’s about preparedness and resilience, which starts with asking the hard questions:
- Do you have backup power for critical systems?
- Do you have a continuity plan if digital or other systems fail?
- What happens when communication completely goes down?
- Do you know how long your cold storage could last in a prolonged outage?
- What would you do if you experienced a major loss?
Being operational isn’t enough, you need to be reliable. At PRFC, we don’t just talk about resilience, we build it into your business model. Let us help you put the right measures in place.
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