# New terrorist attack right now? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 14, 2003, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230 "2003-08-14T20:40:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/1 "2003-08-14T20:40:59Z")
MSNBC and CNN are reporting major power outages across the Northeast, from Detroit to New York City. WTF? Is Al Qaeda feeling feisty? ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/2 "2003-08-14T20:45:02Z")
Does this mean I can skip rehearsal? ---
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/3 "2003-08-14T20:45:43Z")
Definite WTF. And there are outages reported in Canada too. ---
**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, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/4 "2003-08-14T20:46:23Z")
I think it has to do with the LOVSAN worm. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/5 "2003-08-14T20:46:58Z")
In a more serious vein, CNN is saying that it’s a power grid overload…or actually, Mayor Bloomberg is saying that. Looks like a mass exodus out of Manhattan though ---
**Author:** ![NameAlreadyTaken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/97f17d/32.png) [@NameAlreadyTaken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NameAlreadyTaken)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/6 "2003-08-14T20:47:07Z")
Latest news rumor seems to be that the Niagra power grid overloaded (probably natural causes or bad programming. No sign of terrorists anywhere). All those cities basically draw from the same big grid. Lots of secondary effects (like the transformer blowing in Manhattan). No web links up yet. The scariest thing is that all the subways stopped moving in Toronto and NYC. (Where all my coworkers work). I’d freak stuck on a subway in NYC this time of day with thousands of other tired, smelly people trying to get home. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/7 "2003-08-14T20:49:19Z")
Sorry. Fuckin’ hairdryer. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/8 "2003-08-14T20:50:28Z")
According to [this](http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20030814-1326-power-outages.html) article: > [@](#): > > Cable news outlet CNN reported that a ConEdison facility in Manhattan on 14th Street was on fire, and U.S. power regulators said the New York plant outage had a cascading effect on on the Northeast power grid. According to CNN’s main page, “Officials don’t believe the outage is related to terrorism.” ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/9 "2003-08-14T20:50:48Z")
This gives me the creeps. Maybe it’s not terrorist related, but still seems… well… creepy. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/10 "2003-08-14T20:51:04Z")
Yeah, that’s what the Channel 5 news in DC is saying, too, but DAMN if the video of masses of people walking in NYC doesn’t remind me of 9/11. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/11 "2003-08-14T20:52:24Z")
A friend on another board commented on how hot it was today in that area. Considering that the temps have been (AFAIK) pretty moderate before, I’m hoping it was just a lot of people turning on the AC and overloading the system. There were quite a few people without power during Chicago’s '95 heat wave, as ComEd’s systems were overloaded. ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/12 "2003-08-14T21:01:25Z")
What dopers are in New York, Toronto, etc? What’s going on? I’m hearing about people trapped in elevators and subways. How terrifying! ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/13 "2003-08-14T21:03:13Z")
No big whoop\*. This happened about 5 years ago on the West Coast too. Same reason, a main powerstation caught fire or something and shut down everything from Washington through California if I remember right. I Don’t remember if any of Canada was affected or not. (My grandfather had just died and I was talking to my mom on the phone. She didn’t believe me when I told her I couldn’t get online to book a plane ticket because there was no power in several states.) \*(I of course mean “No big whoop” in regards as to if it was terrorism or not…it’s obviously a big whoop to someone stuck in a subway or elevator, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/14 "2003-08-14T21:05:25Z")
Cripes. Pennsylvania and Toledo are now going down. Chicago has gone to wall to wall coverage. Bitch better not blackout my city, I’ve got a party to cater tomorrow. ---
**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, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/15 "2003-08-14T21:10:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by autz \* > \*\*What dopers are in New York, Toronto, etc? What’s going on? > \*\* Um, I don’t think they would be able to tell you unless the have a charged lap top. ---
**Author:** ![badmana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@badmana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badmana)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/16 "2003-08-14T21:13:16Z")
I’m in Toronto, power is down but our onsite generators are working (lights are off though and AC!). I’m getting reports from my GF in downtown toronto that things are a mess. No subways, airport only for arriving flights, traffic stopped. Cell phones are going down along the lake ontario edge according to our internal emergency messaging service. We’re also getting too many phone users jumping on their lines bringing down other towers. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/17 "2003-08-14T21:14:40Z")
Dopers in Toronto include **sunspace**. I think **Eats\_Crayons** is in Toronto as well, or at least in southeastern Ontario. The news is saying the blackout has affected Montreal, but I haven’t seen it. I was on the metro an hour ago. Touch wood. They said Ottawa was affected too (power went out on Parliament Hill, which was evacuated). **Elenfair** i think is in Ottawa now (though I wouldn’t be surprised if she was visiting **lno** 😉 NY dopers? Gosh… **Maeglin, Eve, OxyMoron, GrandfatherTrout, Cosmopolitan** , a great many others. Très bizzarre. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/18 "2003-08-14T21:17:46Z")
[http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&ncid=564&e=3&u=/nm/20030814/ts\_nm/power\_outages\_dc](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&ncid=564&e=3&u=/nm/20030814/ts_nm/power_outages_dc) > [@](#): > > He said, “I can tell you 100 percent sure that there is no evidence as of this moment whatsoever of any terrorism.” ---
**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, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/19 "2003-08-14T21:18:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\*Sorry. > Fuckin’ hairdryer. \*\* Been watching _Quantum Leap_ lately? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Burnt\_Sugar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@Burnt\_Sugar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burnt_Sugar)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230/20 "2003-08-14T21:19:23Z")
Hands up who thinks SDMB will be empty tonight! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-terrorist-attack-right-now/195230.md?page=2)