# Breaking news! Blackouts strike NE US/SE Canada! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 14, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231 "2003-08-14T20:42:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/1 "2003-08-14T20:42:15Z")
> [@](#): > > [CBS News](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/08/14/national/main568346.shtml) > There’s a major power outage in New York City, affecting areas from Manhattan to Long Island and to the north. The buildings affected include the United Nations and New York Stock Exchange, along with Kennedy and LaGuardia airports. > > Other cities in the dark include Detroit, Cleveland and Toledo. And power is out in parts of Canada, including Toronto and throughout Ontario. ---
**Author:** ![HerMajestyLorna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7cd45c/32.png) [@HerMajestyLorna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HerMajestyLorna)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/2 "2003-08-14T20:43:09Z")
I’m watching the live news coverage on this… Why is it happening? Seems like they just don’t know right now. ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/3 "2003-08-14T20:43:20Z")
Power in the Hartford,CT area was out for only 10 minutes or so. Anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/4 "2003-08-14T20:44:01Z")
And **Ivylass** beat me by 10 minutes… ---
**Author:** ![HerMajestyLorna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7cd45c/32.png) [@HerMajestyLorna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HerMajestyLorna)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/5 "2003-08-14T20:45:02Z")
So now, maybe a fire at a Con-Edison (?) plant could have messed up power everyone. ---
**Author:** ![HerMajestyLorna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7cd45c/32.png) [@HerMajestyLorna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HerMajestyLorna)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/6 "2003-08-14T20:46:56Z")
everyone = for everyone :smack: ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/7 "2003-08-14T20:47:55Z")
CBS was just showing footage of thousands of people walking home in Manhattan. AP reports: > [@](#): > > Every prison in New York state reported a loss of power and had switched to backup generators, said James Flateau, a spokesman for the state Department of Corrections. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/8 "2003-08-14T20:47:57Z")
From the boston globe: ([boston.com](http://boston.com)) BREAKING NEWS: A major power outage has hit much of New York City as well as parts of Long Island, Connecticut and the cities of Albany, Cleveland, Toledo, and Detroit, and Toronto and Ottawa in Canada. In Manhattan, thousands of people are trapped in elevators and on subway trains; CNN is reporting that there is some panic and fear among the thousands of people who are pouring out of office buildings onto the street. Power is also out at LaGuardia and JFK airports. CNN is also reporting that the Con Edison power plant in NYC is on fire. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/9 "2003-08-14T20:51:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeff Olsen \* > \*\*And **Ivylass** beat me by 10 minutes… \*\* And that’s why I listen to talk radio at work 😉 ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/10 "2003-08-14T20:51:41Z")
There are large portions of the city of Toledo out right now. I’m at work just south of city and the power here went out for only a couple minutes. Lots of cell phone troubles, too. I suspect that’s caused mostly by demand, though. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/11 "2003-08-14T20:52:19Z")
Woo! I wonder if our NY dopers are okay. **Eve, Ukulele Ike**? ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/12 "2003-08-14T20:58:31Z")
They’re probably stuck in elevators :eek: Mayor Bloomberg just came on CNN and said everyting is okay and we should all walk - _not run_ - to the nearest exit. Apparently the Niagra grid overloaded forcing ConEd to shut down. I am SO glad I’m off tomorrow. Our network monitoring system must be going nutso-cuckoo right now. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/13 "2003-08-14T20:59:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ivylass \*\*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Jeff Olsen \* > > And Ivylass beat me by 10 minutes… > > And that’s why I listen to talk radio at work 😉 \*\* Turns out it was really just two minutes. Your thread must have went through while I was previewing. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/14 "2003-08-14T21:02:19Z")
Whew! My first thought was “terrorism”. I guess it’s a little early to 100% rule that out, though. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/15 "2003-08-14T21:04:34Z")
The US Gov’t is saying it wasn’t terrorism. Although, do we know the cause of the fire yet? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/16 "2003-08-14T21:09:00Z")
My main question is: How’d it spread so quickly? Manhattan, Albany, Toledo, Detroit, virtually the entire province of Ontario, etc. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/17 "2003-08-14T21:10:37Z")
Cleveland is down too. Thousands are stranded in the subways, and Bloomberg says power won’t be back on until late tonight. ---
**Author:** ![DadWagonDriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@DadWagonDriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DadWagonDriver)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/18 "2003-08-14T21:15:08Z")
News keeps saying Kalamazoo is without power, but I (obviously) have power. It just blipped long enough to reset the microwave. My parents (NE of Detroit) are on the generator now, though. ---
**Author:** ![Themis00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/13edae/32.png) [@Themis00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Themis00)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/19 "2003-08-14T21:16:45Z")
Could this be related to the worm? ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231/20 "2003-08-14T21:18:24Z")
Weird, we lost power at work, for good, but here at home in CT, 15 miles away, no problems. DSL was down for a while, but that’s back too. Got the A/C cranked too. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-blackouts-strike-ne-us-se-canada/195231.md?page=2)