The district of Nordwestmecklenburg practised how to deal with a large-scale power cut on 14 November 2026. During the exercise “Warm November”, emergency services set up seven warm hubs and 20 assistance points for people in need. Fire services and ambulance services worked with municipalities and local authorities; the Civil Protection Service co-ordinated the response.
The scenario went beyond a brief power cut. According to local news portal Wismar.fm, the assumed conditions included gas shortages, power cuts and temperatures below minus 10 degrees. Eight administrative districts took part, the report said. The exercise also tested, among other things, the reporting channels between the local authorities and the district, using digital radio.
One of the warm hubs was set up in Brüsewitz. According to an NDR report, 40 firefighters from surrounding communities were on duty there. Such facilities are intended to provide a heated place to stay during prolonged outages. They have emergency generators and portable heaters. People can warm themselves there and heat food they have brought with them.
The so-called civil protection beaconsserve a different purpose. They are intended as assistance points if normal communication channels fail. People seeking help should be able to make emergency calls there and receive information about the situation. The sites therefore fulfil two roles: they provide people with an accessible point of contact and enable the authorities to pass on information and warnings.
According to Wismar.fm, 45 warm hubs and 111 civil protection beacons have been prepared across the district for an emergency. The exercise activated only some of the planned sites. The mere establishment of these facilities does not show how well the network as a whole would function during a prolonged crisis. The reports consulted did not include an assessment of the exercise.
The Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance notes that a power cut can also affect heating, communications and other aspects of daily life. According to the authority, mobile phone networks depend on the power supply, although they may continue to work for a short time in some circumstances. If the connection fails, local assistance points become important for making emergency calls.
For personal preparedness, the Federal Office recommends, among other things, keeping supplies of drinking water and food, as well as a battery- or hand-crank-powered radio. This makes it possible to follow official announcements even without mains electricity. The Federal Office says power cuts are generally resolved within a few hours, but restoring supply after widespread damage may take days. The exercise in Nordwestmecklenburg was preparation for such a situation, not an indication that an actual large-scale outage had occurred.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).