[davesimondotcom]

-------------------------
Power Outage Strikes N.Y.
Other Major U.S., Canadian Cities Stricken

Reuters
Thursday, August 14, 2003; 4:28 PM

BOSTON -- Power outages struck major U.S. and Canadian cities on Thursday, witnesses said, although it was not immediately clear if there was a link between the breakdowns.

Power outages were reported in the New York metropolitan area and Detroit, as well as in Toronto and Ottawa, witnesses said.
--------------------------

No sign of what's causing the blackouts. Possibly overloaded grids due to the hot conditions.

[CheesePuff]

I'm in Rochester, NY and have power, but pretty much the rest of Rochester doesn't. I just recieved dozens of calls from friends and neighbors in the area with troubles getting anywhere in huge traffic jams because of none of the lights working, also all of the gas stations that are open (a lot are closed) are jam packed as well.

Also some phone's don't work, and when I called 911 to report an accident it said "911 is currently unavailable".

[CheesePuff]

It also isn't too hot here, and when I called a local TV station (all 5 local stations are out) they said something about Niagara Mohak being the cause of it.

Also, only 1 radio station works.

[C.J. Moof]

They must be the one with the gigantic generator.

[davesimondotcom]

I guess some people are stuck on subways and such.

Hopefully, everything will stay in order and there won't be chaos.

[ambush]

Weird, nothing in Montr�al

[shmerek]

Originally posted by ambush:
Weird, nothing in Montr�al

Quebec has its own monster grid.

[davesimondotcom]

Originally posted by shmerek:
Quebec has its own monster grid.

So, are you saying that Quebec is independant?

[Capt Shane]

stupid canadains cut us off... some one forget to pay a bill?

[CheesePuff]

If power isn't restored tonight there will be a lot of looting.

[shmerek]

Originally posted by davesimondotcom:
So, are you saying that Quebec is independant?

In that sense yes, so is British Columbia. Funny thing is some parts of the states are somewhat dependent on us silly hosers eh.

[davesimondotcom]

Thought this was funny coincidence.

[Capt Shane]

NBC said it was prob a us generator that set it all off. I wonder if the streets are always that full of people?

[Earth Mk. II]

Originally posted by CheesePuff:
they said something about Niagara Mohak being the cause of it.

Now, why does that not surprise me?


My parents, and most of my friends have no power. One of my friends is at work with a generator though, giving me updates via AIM.

Crazy stuff.

I go home in 2 days too, but for now I'm still in DC... with a functional power gird.

[cpt kangarooski]

Well, everything is A-OK in center city Philadelphia.

Of course, I hope that South Jersey is holding up, since I'd like to go home tonight.

Wait... I live in Camden. We could nuke the place and it would only be an improvement. **** it.

[Joshua]

Wow. I can't imagine the economic losses that'll result from a power outage this big. How many billions per hour will this cost?

[Kenneth]

I noticed that there are some .edu over there were out too... (e.g. NYU.edu)

Sounds like no backup power for them.

[sniffer]

Heh, I just saw a local news site reporting this black out. It states there is major panic in the streets of New York. Is it that bad?

[Capt Shane]

there is no panic people are just walking home.... not to many people actualy live in NYC...

[CheesePuff]

Originally posted by sniffer:
Heh, I just saw a local news site reporting this black out. It states there is major panic in the streets of New York. Is it that bad?

yes it is

[xi_hyperon]

All major news sites are reporting this, except for Fox News. I think they are based in NYC though. Oops!

[King Bob On The Cob]

Looting will be a problem, but lets look at it, this happened in the past, I watched a discovery channel special on it. A transformer blew back then, and then the power surge took out more transformers. Chain Reaction. Same thing happened now except it was a plant overloaded.

[Fyre4ce]

I'm in Massena, NY right now (up north, on the canadian border) and I lost power for about 40 minutes. Only consequence to me was that I couldn't iron my clothes for work.

George Pataki, you'd better call in the national guard NOW to urban areas with no power before it gets dark, or else (whoever said it is right) there will be massive looting.

[Kenneth]

Originally posted by xi_hyperon:
All major news sites are reporting this, except for Fox News. I think they are based in NYC though. Oops!

Right On...

[::maroma::]

2:57pm PST, Portland, Oregon

We still have power.

[gerbnl]

So, and what if this turns out to be caused by the Blaster worm? whooo

[Capt Shane]

military in your streets doesn't help keep people calm... and how are they going to stop looting shoot them? military can't arrest people... i think the police can handle it

[Capt Shane]

Originally posted by gerbnl:
So, and what if this turns out to be caused by the Blaster worm? whooo

NBC just said the same thing haha conspiracy thoeries run wild... but most power plants DON'T USE WINDOWS!!! plz people nuke people are smart hehe :-)

[ambush]

Originally posted by davesimondotcom:
So, are you saying that Quebec is independant?

Ya. Hydro-Qu�bec has its own mega network.

I'll be watching the monster loot-fest on CNN tonight.

[ambush]

Originally posted by Capt Shane:
there is no panic people are just walking home.... not to many people actualy live in NYC...

na. just 10 millions

[ambush]

Power coming back on in NYC

[maxintosh]

Power has begun to come back to NYC. It's an amazing amount of people in the streets!! Like NYU.edu, columbia.edu is still down Mail keeps bouncing and telling me it can't get my CUBmail. Fortunately hospitals still have generators. It's unfortunate for people in elevators and subways, I though elevators were supposed to have enough backup power to return to the first floor and open (like when the fire alarm sounds)?

Where I work in Boston we had a power outage today, only for about 10 minutes, but I wonder if it was related at all?

[misc]

OH MY GOD IT'S ALL TERRORISM!!!



Not that uncommon. Grid loses power has to fall back to next grid, grid can't support it. Domino affect.

All broadway shows cancelled. Thats a first for a long time, since Sept. 11 at least.

[kpne1home]

I got a Power serge the time of the outage. I live outside of Hartfordt CT, like a town or 2 over.

[Naz]

mine was out here in Connecticut, I just hope the cities do okay tonight

its getting dark soon here

[--Helen--]

-

[Michel Fortin]

This just translated from a Radio-Canada story:

Prime minister cabinet says the power outrage was caused by a lighting that fallen on the american power plant of Niagara Mohawk in Buffalo area. The surge on the power plant then hit other powerplants in a chain reaction.

Hydro-Ottawa company says they where importing electricity from the north of the United States when the outrage occured in the Niagara Mohawk plant. Since this plant is the link between the two country networks this caused a chain reaction that caused the outrage on the ontario side.

Sorry if the translation is not perfect.

[C.J. Moof]

The whole power grid seems... fragile. One properly placed lightning strike can keep 9 nuclear power plants from running?

Wow.

[Commodus]

I'm at work here in Ottawa at the moment, and to no one's surprise much of the power is out. The only reason I'm able to speak is because I'm on one of the few call centre computers running on the backup generators. I even have the luxury of lights! As you might imagine, virutally every other area of the building is pitch black, and most people who would normally be working have been sent home.

I'm actually enjoying this. Since this is an ISP call centre, we've been getting slammed as of late (courtesy of the w32.blaster worm)... but not tonight! Whether by phone or online, there are far fewer calls and a good portion of those can be finished by saying "it's the power outage." For once, we can actually stop and think between calls.

Oh, and by the way: if you're on Road Runner and are on the Eastern side of the continent... er, don't call support.

[Naz]

the thing about lightning none of the NYC area weather radar shows any cloud cover at the time the weather man on every channel I turned to said that lightning was doubtful because the radar did not pick that up it was CLEAR

[Chips G]

About 20 minutes ago (9:20 E.S.T.) the city of London (Ontario) got power back...got a call from my aunt, power still not up in Sarnia though...

Good timing I suppose, as it was starting to get very dark. I was hoping for the lights to stay out for the night though, to see all the stars that we usually can't because of the city lights, but I suppose this is for the best (Hospitals, freezers/fridges, etc)

[Capt Shane]

I bet it was those flash mobs.... meet in NYC and turn on all your electrical items at 4:13pm....

[maxintosh]

Originally posted by Naz:
the thing about lightning none of the NYC area weather radar shows any cloud cover at the time the weather man on every channel I turned to said that lightning was doubtful because the radar did not pick that up it was CLEAR

I know, that's weird, but maybe they meant �clair de chaleur, or heat lightning. We have had some impressive heat lightning in Boston recently.

[absurdist]

The fact that the electrical power is out back east (I'm in California) doesn't particularly concern me. What does concern me is looting and the possible exercise of political power. I can actually picture John Ashcroft sitting in his office licking his chops and muttering, "C'mon... Loot, dammit! I need an excuse to declare martial law and suspend the Constitution..."

[Capt Shane]

Originally posted by absurdist:
The fact that the electrical power is out back east (I'm in California) doesn't particularly concern me. What does concern me is looting and the possible exercise of political power. I can actually picture John Ashcroft sitting in his office licking his chops and muttering, "C'mon... Loot, dammit! I need an excuse to declare martial law and suspend the Constitution..."

Yes but how do we blame Microsoft?

[starman]

Originally posted by Capt Shane:
Yes but how do we blame Microsoft?

No..

BLAME CANADA!

Mike

[absurdist]

Originally posted by Capt Shane:
Yes but how do we blame Microsoft?

I tend to do it this way:

It's Microsoft's fault!!!

Of course, if this was caused by the MSBlast worm, it would also be a factual statement and allow me to point and laugh with impunity...

The Absurdist
"-- The Absurdist's Rules For Improving One's Life:
1. There is nothing in life that cannot be improved be cheese.
2. Every day, find the opportunity to point and laugh at someone."

[ApeInTheShell]

Whata re you talking about?
Fox has been broadcasting this power outage since 2-3:00 pm mountain time.

This reminds me of when there was a blackout in Colorado and California a few years back. My aunt was paranoid but by the next day everything was back to normal. Sorta like the Y2K incident, there wasn't one.

[vvedge]

Man, the moment it happened... I panicked!....

well, I didn't panic. My iMac did... kernel panic.

heh...yea... ugh...

yea, I'm in central NJ (30 miles from NYC) and the power just flickered at around 4:11. It came back on and didnt go out after that. I guess our area got lucky. We get Nuclear power from the south. ... Nuklear...

[rambo47]

I was at the NYSE at 4:10 when the lights went out. Lots of hooting and hollering, all in fun. Somebody was playing a recording of crickets. You wouldn't believe how juvinile the Trading Floor's sense of humor is.

I saw no one panic. Most folks had the same thoughts:
1. "Gee, I hope it's not terrorism."
2. "How the hell am I getting home tonight?"

The ferrys to NJ and the surrounding buroughs were mobbed. No subways or trains out of Penn Station means you just stay put for a few hours and see how it all shakes out. No big deal, not like skyscrapers are falling down or anything like that. Anything short of the sh!t on 9/11 is relatively easy to deal with. I think that's the basic attitude of New Yorkers. Now with no lights tonight (so far anyway) we'll see if the kids behave. With the strong police presence I saw, at least downtown, I expect incidences of looting, etc, to be pretty isolated. Normally I'm home in New Jersey at about 6:00 PM but tonight I got home at 10:30. Lots of standing in lines for ferrys, taxis, and whatnot. But here I am, safe and sound, and not having panicked.