[Im Your Huckleberry]

I'm not trying to "scare" or "panic" anyone. I'm stating a simple fact; I don't for one minute buy that this is just a "hiccup".

Period.

After 9/11, I have good reason, too.

[Trust but Verify]

I'm stating a simple fact; I don't for one minute buy that this is just a "hiccup".

OK, bucko. Since when is YOUR uninformed, in-expert opinion considered a FACT?

[appalachian_dweller]

There are a few here at work that agree with you I.Y.H. They say the outage is just too wide spread.

AQ like a high body count. I just don't see this as a attack, but I could be wrong.

Donning my tinfoil hat now: I do keep a 3 day supply of food, water, clothing, soap, toothpaste, wash cloths, a sleeping pad and blanket, pair of hiking boots, first aid kit, minimal survival gear in the car in case 'something happens'. After I saw what happened with traffic during Tuesday's power outage here in Reston, Va. I realized that if anything did happen (power loss), and the police were busy and couldn't deal with the traffic, no one was going anywhere in a car. I've been known to hike 20 miles in a day and I only live 18 miles from work. Even on foot I could be home within 24 hours.

It doesn't have to be terrorism related. It could be an earthquake. People say we don't get earthquakes in the east, but one changed the course of the Mississippi River in the 1800s.

I would advise everyone to do the same. Be Prepared. Terrorism or not.

[supercat]

I'm stating a simple fact; I don't for one minute buy that this is just a "hiccup".

The basic problem is that when one part of the system shuts down, it will change the loads in other parts of the system (generally, but not always, increasing them). Ideally, the shutdowns would occur in such a way to minimize disruption, but sometimes things don't work out that way.

As a simple example, imagine that you have two communities, each with a power plant, and a link between the two communities. The plants are designed to produce 100 units of power each and have a instant-shutoff limit of 105 units. The link is designed to transport 20 units of electricity, with an instant-shutoff limit of 25.

Suppose community #1 is drawing 95 units and community #2 is drawing 100. Generator #2 shuts down, putting all its load on generator #1.

If the link between the two communities were to drop at this point, community #1 would have power and #2 wouldn't. What could happen instead, though, would be for the link to get all the power generator #1 is producing that isn't being drawn by community #1 (i.e. 10 units), pushing generator #1 past the instant-shutdown threshhold. The link is not overtaxed (it only has 10 units flowing through it), so it remains active. The effect is that both communities lose power even though a different shutdown sequence would have only affected one.

In the real world, there are a many more generators, communities, and links, but the same sorts of scenarios can occur. Although most problems would be the result of generators or links getting overtaxed, problems can also occur if a generator suddenly finds itself underloaded. If a link trips which had been connecting a generator to most of its load, that can cause the generator to run overspeed until a safety trip shuts it down. At that point, whatever part of the generator's load was still connected will either be in the dark or will draw power from somewhere else.

I know there are systems that are supposed to minimize the effects of cascading failures, but breakers don't always trip in the desired sequence.

[af_vet_rr]

I'm not trying to "scare" or "panic" anyone. I'm stating a simple fact; I don't for one minute buy that this is just a "hiccup".

Period.

After 9/11, I have good reason, too.

I don't buy it either that this is just a "hiccup".

Before 9/11, we have never had power outtages in this country, especially in New York.

Oh wait, we have, nevermind.

[Rebelbase]

Love the screen name.