Danish islands prepare for power outages and flooding: ‘We must be able to cope on our own for longer’

Several of Denmark’s smaller islands are developing emergency plans to handle prolonged power outages or flooding, as help from the mainland could take hours or even days to arrive, reports DR.

Omø, an island off the southwest coast of Zealand, has established a crisis response team to manage situations such as power failures or isolation due to severe weather. With a 50-minute ferry ride to the mainland, self-sufficiency is critical, said Dorthe Winther, chair of the Omø Residents’ and Landowners’ Association.

“If we experience a power outage, a crisis committee will convene to decide what needs to be done,” Winther explained. “We may need to check on every household to see who has enough heat and supplies.”

Key local resources—such as the waterworks, grocery store, harbour master, and a home-care nurse—will play central roles in the response. The island’s shopkeeper, for instance, would help secure food if ferry services are disrupted for days.

Each island tailors its own plan

Nina Baron, a disaster risk management lecturer at Copenhagen Professionshøjskole, has led workshops for island residents to develop their plans. Rather than providing a one-size-fits-all solution, she encouraged communities to identify their unique challenges.

“When I asked what they would do in a blackout, they had to think: What are our biggest vulnerabilities, and what can we handle?” Baron said.

The Association of Danish Small Islands has supported residents from Avernakø, Lyø, Bjørnø, Endelave, Omø, Hjarnø, and Agersø in creating plans, while Birkholm and Skarø have completed similar processes. Association chair Kirsten Sydendal noted growing awareness among islanders.

“Many don’t think about this daily, but there’s now a real focus on having a plan ready,” Sydendal said.

Vulnerable connections increase urgency

On Bogø and Farø—linked to the mainland via the Bogø Dam and Farø Bridges—residents are still finalising their emergency plans. Nynne Daugaard-Petersen, a member of Bogø’s preparedness group, highlighted the risks of flooding or accidents cutting off access.

“These dams and bridges can be vulnerable,” she said. “We’ve had traffic incidents where we were stranded for hours.”

Despite no prior experience in emergency planning, Daugaard-Petersen found that the group’s diverse skills proved valuable. “We’re all laypeople in this, but together, we’ve learned we can achieve a lot.”