Massive Power Outage - From NY to Ottawa | Golden Skate

Massive Power Outage - From NY to Ottawa

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Wow! There was a massive power outage from NY to Ottawa, Ontario this afternoon. Millions of people are in the dark, stuck on elevators and in the subway! Not to mention the chaos on the streets as people try to make their way home. How horrible!
 

heyang

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Although I am only an hour outside NYC (in NJ), we didn't lose power. There was a 1 minute brown out at work and about 20 minutes later the senior management staff for my department (Information Technology) were going around telling us about the blackout. Whenever the power goes out, we have make sure that any computer jobs running came to a natural end. Fortunately, the system didn't actuallly come down - so, no problems for me.

The news coverage showed everyone behaving well. People calmly walked out of the city. I felt really bad for the people who were stuck on subways or trains. There were 41 trains stopped on the tracks - by 7PM, all but 7 had been evacuated. Good thing rush hour wasn't in full force. They are saying that power will be restored in most areas by 11PM.

The only 'damage' to me was that DirectTV lost the signal for all local stations around 7:30 and it still hasn't been fixed. As a result, I couldn't watch The Amazing Race. I was able to get move-by-move coverage by calling an out of town friend.
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
It's amazing all reports have been positive. People in Toronto are just recovering from the SARS scare. Must be awful. I hope everyone is okay.
 

aly*cutie

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
My uncle lives in NY, he called from his cell phone and said that he was fine. I hope everyone was ok, it looked scary on tv.
 

windspirit

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I found out from the Internet... It was an unusual sight, all those people in the streets. It must've been terrifying for those stuck in elevators and trains. I'll bet many of them thought it's a terrorist attack. :( I was a little afraid that some people would use this opportunity and there'd be more break ins and robberies, etc. Hope it wasn't so. I also hope no one died from heat (luckily it wasn't so bad yesterday, as it was a few days before), and everyone got home safely.

Btw, it was reassuring to see how calm everyone was. :)
 

show 42

Arm Chair Skate Fan
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Our neighbors left Wednesday for Boston to attend a wedding. I'm wondering if that area was affected? 42
 

SugarCoated

Rinkside
Joined
Aug 15, 2003
hi... im from NYC and the power outage isnt/wasnt any fun. Luckily my part of the city has our energy back (17 hours later) so i finally have the ac and fridge, lights etc working.

Yesterday getting home was pretty hectic. I was in another part of the city and the trains werent working so i had to take a very crowded bus and then walked home. It was crazy crossing the streets cuz the crossing lights werent working. Some of my family got stuck in the city. But all an all it wasnt that bad.

Actually it was great seeing how people helped out. People were helping control traffic, some stores we're giving out water and drinks to people waiting for the bus. I dont care what people say about us new yorkers... we're a nice bunch lol.

I hope the rest of the areas get their power back soon!
 

windspirit

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
show 42 said:
Our neighbors left Wednesday for Boston to attend a wedding. I'm wondering if that area was affected? 42
Massachusetts has its own (independent) power plant. I saw the governor of Mass. yesterday on tv saying that no one in the state was affected. He also asked people to use power as they'd usually do, because the sudden change might cause trouble.
 

Kara Bear

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Another reason why I am glad I moved away from Ontario back home.

I was watching the news last night and it was crazy! But it was really neat that normal people just helped out by jumping in the middle of roads to direct traffic.
 

JOHIO2

Medalist
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
Hey all,

Cleveland was part of the black-out. Local communities dribbled back online over night. We finally got lights about 8am, but had one of those "rolling blackouts" around noon for an hour or so. Electric on since.

Cleveland was quiet. Living next to a main drag, the lights from cars and trucks and buses kept things from getting dark and the moon was enough to get to the bathroom and the kitchen (for more water) and out to the porch, where it was cooler. The city started complaining about water after a few hours. Where I am, we were never out of water, but the water problem meant no bath or shower. Real bummer when you're hot and sweaty and there is no a/c or even a fan.

Fortunately, I didn't have much in fridge to spoil. Veggies and fruits keep fairly well. I just KNEW there was an upside to dieting!

Now, the local news is blaming the local electric company for the blackout. All of it. First, it was "Blame Canada." Now, it's blame Parma, even though the local energy types are denying it. Now, the media handlers for First Energy won't even comment on ABC's report blaming NEOhio and First Energy. Wouldn't surprise me much if they were.

Oh well, hope this crisis is over for now. It's too damn hot to repeat!
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Ontario has no one to blame, but themselves for opting out of their government operated power plant and privatising it. We are clinging to our BC Hydro here desperately trying to prevent our illustrious premier Campbell from destroying a perfectly good power source by "privatising" it.

Quebec was spared because they too have their own power source.

Anyway, as frustrating as it was the people in Toronto and Ottawa also "stepped up to the plate" and helped one another.
 

Norlite

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Ladskater said:
Ontario has no one to blame, but themselves for opting out of their government operated power plant and privatising it. We are clinging to our BC Hydro here desperately trying to prevent our illustrious premier Campbell from destroying a perfectly good power source by "privatising" it.

I'm curious as to why you think the fact that Ontario Hydro has been restructured into Hydro One, (still a government owned company) has anything to do with the cascading blackout that has just occurred?

The provincial government had announced (in early 2002) an initial public offering of Hydro One shares, but it was later announced that it would not go that route, and they are searching for other investers.

From what I have read, this was probably caused by outdated equipment on the grid that stradles Ontario and the eastern states. Apparently there are 12 such grids in NA, BC's is connected to the western seaboard of the US. Usually during power outages of this kind (overloading in summer, fairly common) it is stopped from continuing through the grid by a number of cut-offs, or breakers, that just didn't work this time.

I, as one Ontario resident, hope that if a massive overhaul of our equipment is needed, Ontario One Hydro step up their "privatization" agenda so outside money can be invested as opposed to more of my tax dollars. :\
 
Last edited:

Norlite

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Ladskater said:
Quebec was spared because they too have their own power source.


Actually, this is not correct. Quebec is on the same grid as Ontario and eastern US. Quebec was spared due to the close to 3 billion dollars of improvements made in their connection / transmission systems in the last decade, half of it coming after the ice storms of '98. All of it provincial government money.
 
Last edited:

bleuchick

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
forgot to mention that Ontario BUYS power from NY. It used to be the other way around not too long ago.

it seems like the cause of this blackout is from the US whereas that of the 1965 blackout was from Canada.

Btw, someone needs to tell these damn politicians on both side of the border and the media to stop pointing fingers and talk about ways to prevent more blackouts
 

Norlite

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
bleuchick said:
forgot to mention that Ontario BUYS power from NY. It used to be the other way around not too long ago.


Yes, this is true. Ontario has been supplementing their power with power from NY state, and Quebec. (approx. 5%) Because of the price cap to consumers implemented by the provincial gov., it is more cost effective to buy power from outside the province rather than bringing shut down nuclear reactors in Ontario back online.
 
Last edited:

Lucy25

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 31, 2003
There were lots of cities on this power grid whose system did what itwas supposed to do, block the problem before it affected them. Pittsburg is one of them. I don't care where the problem started; it's the fact that so many systems failed to block the problem. I live in the suburbs of Detroit and was without power for about 20 hours. Just enough to be inconvenienced, but certainly barable. It was an interesting learning experience, to be sure. If situations like this don't occur every once in a while, how else would the people know how to handle them?
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Norlite:

Perhaps, it was outdated equipment that caused this power outage, but if Ontario did not depend on the US as its ownly major power source, they might have been spared.

BC Hydro supplies power to the US, but so far it still belongs to the people of BC. We have no desire to see it ripped apart and sold off. Sure we could have a blackout here as well, but according to the powers that be with BC Hydro it would be fixed within about a half an hour.

Even the "big wigs" in Ontario admitted they are too dependent on the US for their power.

Just a thought.
 
Top