Comments on: Power Outages

By: j

Wed, 20 Aug 2003 08:56:19 +0000

It was inevitable, that insights about electrical blackout would be made by someone named Watts .. :)

By: Shai

Shai — Fri, 15 Aug 2003 19:24:08 +0000

Actually I just got up to speed, so a few corrections: (1) the people directing traffic without uniform were actually just regular people who thought it was a good idea, not off duty cops. (2) re the looting: “In Toronto, Canada’s financial capital, home to about four million people, there were 38 arrests linked to the power outage, said constable Mike Hayes, a city police spokesman. Most of the arrests were for smash-and-grab incidents or looting of stores, he said, adding, “We are doing pretty well.” In Ottawa, the federal capital, police reported just two arrests, but had 115 reports of alarms being activated, including 26 at stores, said police spokesman Leo Janveau, who acknowledged 22 looting incidents.”

By: Shai

Shai — Fri, 15 Aug 2003 17:27:11 +0000

my power just turned back on 15 minutes ago (crosses fingers). i was on teh subway when it turned off but was close enough to the next stop that it was only a 5 minute walk. i feel sorry for the old people tho. i then rollerbladed 30km because the traffic was pretty bad. other than 35 people arrested for looting in toronto, wasn’t that bad. they had helicopters flying around last night, presumably to watch for people doing things they shouldnt have been. then there were offduty cops on the corner of every intersection directing traffic. later in the day i went to see if i could get some d batteries for my radio and they were all out. there werent any baskets cuz the store was packed with people who were panicking and buying tons of crap. i just thought of it as a day not to use my computer and get some reading done. the power company in my area are either morons or penny pinchers so it has been out for 8 hours before

By: Daragh McDowell

Daragh McDowell — Fri, 15 Aug 2003 13:06:24 +0000

Latest news is that it was a plant in Michigan. The Niagra generators remained operational throughout the blackout, as the HEP structure with 13 independent generators allows it to weather power dips. Power returned to us out here on Long Island at 6 O’Clock this morning, and seems to be gradually creeping back through NYC. It was’t terrorists, but I have to say in the hour or two before any of us out here were able to get any reliable news it was pretty terrifying. I saw jet streams from what I can only presume where either planes returning to runways, or National Guard fighters being scrambled (emergency troops I believe were in place in critical areas around the city, just in case) and I was trying desperately to get a hold of family outside the country to see if they had any idea what was going on. It was a crazy one.

By: Tom Runnacles

Tom Runnacles — Fri, 15 Aug 2003 00:34:11 +0000

My brother, who is based in NYC, reports that there’s a risk that the city’s bars may run out of cold beer. This begins to sound serious.

By: novalis

novalis — Thu, 14 Aug 2003 22:20:51 +0000

The phones are still working, so they can call Watts—a friend called me from NYC to see what was up.

By: Scott Martens

Scott Martens — Thu, 14 Aug 2003 22:17:13 +0000

CBC Ottawa is reporting that the Niagara grid failed due to an overload – it’s been a hot day. Web traffic is way, way down.

By: Richard

Richard — Thu, 14 Aug 2003 22:05:10 +0000

A power station in Niagara’s gone down, I’m told by my friendly tame futures trader.