Major power surge in NY? (Blackout is in NYC, Detroit, Ottawa and Toronto, per Fox News)

8-14-03 | Joe Hadenuf

[Joe Hadenuf]

Hannity station went dead for about 20 seconds. Said he had never seen anything like it.

[swarthyguy]

They wouldn't lie to us, would they?

[djf]

Mars near opposition... saucers crash in the New Jersey swamps...
War of the Worlds, 2003.

[Conspiracy Guy]

axlelee it is lookin like a major distribution problem. Gray Davis has a hand in this somehow.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Those images in the NY area are totally incredible....

[meyer]

And, given that there's probably a higher-than-normal load in the system right now, I'm betting it wouldn't take much to cause a cascade of problems throughout the grid.

Granted, higher loads take you closer to the edge, but I've been in the business for 20 years. Utilities aren't all following the rules any more, and they aren't building in adequate transmission or generation reserves any more. Its too expensive in a competitive market to be the one with the adequate contingency capability. Plus, hyper-nimbyism has created some areas that just cannot withstand any contingencies at all. New York may be such an area.

[eddie willers]

LOL.....I actually use SMPTE bars in my work.

[Semper Paratus]

The 1965 power blackout that affected the entire northeast was caused by a failure in upstate NY that had a cascade effect.

[Velveeta]

Yikes, thanks!

[NorseWood]

NOTHING IS NORMAL HERE IN CALIFORNIA!

[Cagey]

The shots of thousands fleeing NYC is chilling, almost biblical.

My daughter is one of them right now. Although I think many will realize there is no getting out and head back to where they work and plan to camp out.

[AngryAmerican]

Umm, I may be wrong, but don't Nuclear Power plants....generate their own power???

[m1-lightning]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A massive power outage swept across swaths of the eastern United States and Canada on Thursday, leaving sections of New York City, Detroit, Cleveland and Toronto without electricity, witnesses said.



Subways in New York came to a complete halt, and power was out at all three of the New York area's major airports. Commuter train service also came to a halt, and cellular telephone service was disrupted.


CNN reported a fire at a Con Edison power plant in Manhattan.


The Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Forked River, New Jersey was not functioning, according to people familiar with the plant's operation.


A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said they did not know the reason for the power outages, but said the department was looking into it.

[GSWarrior]

Let the looting begin!

So Congress was not affected, huh!

[Liberal Classic]

I really don't know anything and doubly so because I am cubicle-bound...

[jae471]

Is anyone having sex yet?

If they are, they're not posting here (and if they were, they deserve the title of "Most devoted FReeper.")

[over3Owithabrain]

Cavuto on Fox News just said that this is "not terrorist related."

THEY always say that!

"THEY" didn't on 9/11

[Joe Hadenuf]

Reporting the entire city of Toronto is also down......

[Mo1]

Yeah, very 9/11-like. Eerie

Sounds more like the blackout that happened in 1965

[Velveeta]

I just saw the pics, looks like a veritable mess.