Blackout chaos: Hvar's tourist centers crippled by power failure
The famous Croatian island of Hvar, frequented by tourists, is experiencing a nightmare. Since Monday evening, there has been no electricity. What happened and when devices like air conditioners and refrigerators will start working again is unclear.
On Friday, the Balkans experienced a massive power grid failure. All of Dalmatia, the region along Croatia’s coast, Montenegro, and parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina lost access to electricity.
Traffic lights were out, and the trams weren't running. Restaurant and hotel owners faced huge problems: refrigerators full of food weren't working, and there was no water in the taps because the pumps were down. With the massive heatwave affecting the region, finding a place to cool down was hard, as the air conditioning wasn’t working.
The cause of the power outage was reported later as a failure in Montenegro's electricity transmission system, caused by exceptionally high air temperatures and a sudden increase in consumption due to the heatwave.
Energy supplies were restored after a few hours. However, this was not the end of the troubles for residents and tourists in Croatia. On Monday, around 10 PM Eastern Time, the lights went out on the picturesque island of Hvar.
Problems in the tourist paradise
Residents of the island contacted the editorial office of the Croatian daily "Slobodna Dalmacija." They complained that they had received no information explaining the lack of electricity supply.
The residents of Hvar say they have a lot of food in their refrigerators, which is terrible news for hoteliers and restaurateurs who rely on tourism.
They added that power cuts have occurred in the past when lightning strikes the nearby power infrastructure, but they "never lasted this long."
The editorial office sought information from the energy company of the Hvar island region. They had not received a response.
