Major Blackouts in the North East

[Jedi Master Carr]

Anybody hearing about this New York City is blackout, Cleveland, Detriot, Ottawa, Toldedo and Toronto are too. Other cities are blacked out in the area too, this started around 4PM EST. My guess this is because of the heat this has happened in the past but I can't remember one so massive as this.

[Charley]

The '69 blackout was about that big.

[Ryan Pode]

It's the machines. :uhoh

[Alpha]

A Manhattan plant. :) At least that's what the newscasters just mentioned...

[Jedi Master Carr]

I hear its the plan in Niagra Falls that caused that is from CNN but that may or not be the one. I have to say I am glad I don't live in NY man what a mess, no subways, no buses, people having to walk a long way.

[Ryan Pode]

The '69 blackout was about that big.


65.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Yep I asked my parents they remembered that. Also I heard a rumor that that big worm that was going to effect Microsoft this week could be behind it. Have no clue where that story is coming from.

[Ryan Pode]

I think thats just a silly rumor.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I heard it off the news networks, CNN, ABC and Fox all said it. I think its just speculation. I don't know how powerful this worm, is I heard it could shut down websites and such I don't know if it could shut down a whole power grid though.

[Darth Viscera]

*hugs his electricity*

[Jedi Master Carr]

lol yeah no problems here either thank god :) Also it looks like it is not Terrorism luckly I still think its heat realted this has happened before the last time 1996 out west.

[ReaperFett]

I think when multiple cities suddenly all lose powers, no rumours are silly.


I think this shows a large problem with the system though. NYC has lost subways, rail and airports at the same time. Shouldnt they be on seperate power or have a backup to avoid someone using this?


NJ nuclear power plant isn't responding apparently. Is that bad?

[Ryan Pode]

Visc, turn some stuff off cos they are about to suck some of our power to give to them...

[Figrin D'an]

The power grids for those areas are all interconnected. It's not that all of them overloaded or failed at once. It's like a circuit breaker. It's mearly that one of them was shutdown, and it tripped many other grids (circuits) that are connected to it. It will now just take a few hours to get the grids turned back on... it has to be done section by section, which takes time. There doesn't appear to be any major damage to the power systems themselves. One of them just couldn't meet the demand... 15 million air conditioning systems running at once on a hot day can do that.

[Ryan Pode]

Or one dancing santa.:D

[Jedi Master Carr]

Still its weird that so many cities are out I guess its because the grid that was hit interconnects with so many different cities (the Niagra Falls grid which suspected to be the one that fell) it must have been hotter in Canada today then they suspected and the grid couldn't hold it.

[Darth Viscera]

Originally posted by Ryan Pode
Visc, turn some stuff off cos they are about to suck some of our power to give to them...

Oh no they didn't!

*snaps fingers blackily*

[Jinn Fizz]

I wonder how many blackout babies will be born in 9 months. :D

[Senator Kensington]

The Niagra plant is vehemently denying that it had anything to do with it and calls itself the "rock" of the system. Heard this on CNN.

[Darth Viscera]

Originally posted by Jinn Fizz
I wonder how many blackout babies will be born in 9 months. :D

7 million!

[Jedi Master Carr]

LOL, depends on how long this will go on. I know both sides are pointing fingers this is very weird. Also I bet there will be a lot of crime in NY tonight.

[Morgan Evanar]

Eh, those grids are awfully interlocked. I think there was just a power useage spike, like Figrin said. The media is a bunch of goobers.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I know but still this hasn't happened in 25 years on this wide of scale. Sure it has happened out West but that is a different reason. I think it does show a problem the grids are too interlocked that needs to change and be modernized.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I wish OUR power would go out so I could go home. :cry

[Nathanial K'cansce]

I heard a lightning bolt hit in a Niagra Falls electric power suply thingy and that's what caused the failure form system to system.

The power here flickered on and off, then on and off again, then on and has stayed on since. *lives in NY State* Though Other cities near us lost power.

I believe 4 or 5 nuclear power plants had to shut down for this.

And I also believe this power outage thing is the cause of my bad connection today. ><

[Darth Viscera]

Yeah, the whole internet is running slow, must be a lot of hosting from Pennsylvania to Ohio to Ontario.

[Darth Viscera]

There are reports of looting in Ottawa.

[Jedi Master Carr]

looting in Ottawa I can only imagine what is going on in NY :p

[imported_Firebird1]

I haven't heard much of whats going on in NY but it seems the action has moved southward (WV Sniper attack just announced on MSNBC)

[Figrin D'an]

Looks like NYC is still without power is most areas, and part of the affected area may be in the dark until Sunday. :x

[Darth Viscera]

Originally posted by Jedi Master Carr
looting in Ottawa I can only imagine what is going on in NY :p

No need to imagine. No reports of looting in New York. Reports of serious looting in Ottawa, break-ins, theft, smashed windows, I hate to say it, but I think that Ottawa has been invaded by armies of war protestors :lol :lol :lol

Canada has been quick to blame the power outage on us.

[Ryan Pode]

I wanna go looting :(

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well NY had 9000 cops out makes it hard to loot with that many police walking the strees. This is ridiculous though that they can't get the power on by now, it only last 25 hours in 65 and if it lasts longer now it doesn't show we have progressed much in 38 years.

[Jedi Master Carr]

They now think it started in Ohio or Michigan
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=4&u=/ap/20030815/ap_on_re_us/blackout_what_happened_9

Is this going to be like 1965 when they could never figure out what happened.

[imported_Firebird1]

Only a handful of thefts reported in NYC. Well whos the freeking idiot who'd try to steal something with 9000 cops on the streets anyways.

[CMJ]

Power grids in major metropolitan area's just suck. A few months back my section of Los Angeles blinked out for 36 hours.

Since it was only about 15% of the city it didn't make national news or anything, but it was terrible.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Hasn't parts of Californina have trouble before? I remember last year the power going off a lot.

[CMJ]

Well the rolling blackout thing was actually a bit over 2 years ago. That was more the problem of greedy energy providers jacking up prices and keeping power from the average consumer.

There have been hearings on it in Sacremento.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Oh okay I new it was recently I remember it is sounded just like the way you describe it.

[Doc Milo]

I just got power back on about 1:30 PM this afternoon where I live. Where I work got it back about 4:00 PM. Where my wife works got it back about 6:45 PM. Needless to say, we've had the day off today...

I was at work when it happened. I deal with large sums of money that had to be locked up... Luckily the safe has it's own power supply that powers up via a turn dial. I got out of work about 6 PM yesterday, after securing all valuables (and cash) in the safe. Then took about an hour and a half to drive home (usually live only about a half hour away.) Considering the mass exodus out of Manhattan, and hour delay during standard rush hour wasn't too bad.

Lots of accidents after the sun went down yesterday on the major turnpike in my neighborhood. No reports of anyone dying or being badly injured ... and no reports of major crime sprees...

One guy at work had to walk from Queens into Manhattan -- they weren't allowing any traffic into the city -- to get home...

[CMJ]

Glad you're doing well Doc, I was a bit worried about ya.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Yeah I saw that traffic jam on tv which one was your car :p Glad you are safe and have your power back.

[darth_mcbain]

Yeah, I was thinking of ya Doc - glad things worked out and that you were safe. I was actually in Manhattan for the blackout - I was in town for a wedding. My flight got in about half an hour before all the lights went out... At least I was able to get checked into my hotel (although without computers, it took quite a while), but there was no light and no water. We actually went and hung around in Times Square for a while - I figured when would be the next time I would see it completely dark?! :) As things turned out, power came back in time to make the rehearsal dinner and the wedding a success - but it was pretty close for a while there...

[Doc Milo]

My wife actually commented to me about people having weddings. She was wondering about the food -- and the chances of it spoiling.... We both figured they had back up plans in case of such scenarios....