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N0KFQ > TODAY 14.08.10 17:33l 56 Lines 2641 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Today in History - Aug 14
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Sent: 100814/1520Z @:N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA #:14377 [Branson] FBB7.00i $:14377_N
From: N0KFQ@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
To : TODAY@WW
Aug 14, 2003:
Blackout hits Northeast United States
On this day in 2003, a major outage knocked out power across the
eastern United States and parts of Canada. Beginning at 4:10
p.m. ET, 21 power plants shut down in just three minutes. Fifty
million people were affected, including residents of New York,
Cleveland and Detroit, as well as Toronto and Ottawa, Canada.
Although power companies were able to resume some service in as
little as two hours, power remained off in other places for more
than a day. The outage stopped trains and elevators, and
disrupted everything from cellular telephone service to
operations at hospitals to traffic at airports. In New York
City, it took more than two hours for passengers to be evacuated
from stalled subway trains. Small business owners were affected
when they lost expensive refrigerated stock. The loss of use of
electric water pumps interrupted water service in many areas.
There were even some reports of people being stranded mid-ride
on amusement park roller coasters. At the New York Stock
Exchange and bond market, though, trading was able to continue
thanks to backup generators.
Authorities soon calmed the fears of jittery Americans that
terrorists may have been responsible for the blackout, but they
were initially unable to determine the cause of the massive
outage. American and Canadian representatives pointed figures at
each other, while politicians took the opportunity to point out
major flaws in the region's outdated power grid. Finally, an
investigation by a joint U.S.-Canada task force traced the
problem back to an Ohio company, FirstEnergy Corporation. When
the company's EastLake plant shut down unexpectedly after
overgrown trees came into contact with a power line, it
triggered a series of problems that led to a chain reaction of
outages. FirstEnergy was criticized for poor line maintenance,
and more importantly, for failing to notice and address the
problem in a timely manner--before it affected other areas.
Despite concerns, there were very few reports of looting or
other blackout-inspired crime. In New York City, the police
department, out in full force, actually recorded about 100 fewer
arrests than average. In some places, citizens even took it upon
themselves to mitigate the effects of the outage, by assisting
elderly neighbors or helping to direct traffic in the absence of
working traffic lights.
In New York City alone, the estimated cost of the blackout was
more than $500 million.
N0KFQ @ N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
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