Big Blackout of '03

The Northeast Blackout of 2003 was a massive widespread power outage that occurred throughout parts of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, and Ontario, Canada on Thursday, August 14, 2003. Although not affecting as many people as the later 2003 Italy blackout, it was the largest blackout in North American history. It affected an estimated 10 million people in the province of Ontario (about one-third of the population of Canada) and 40 million people in eight U.S. states (about one-seventh of the population of the U.S.) Outage-related financial losses were estimated at $6 billion USD.

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I had just moved down to Florida a month before, so I wasn't affected by it. But I remember worrying about my elderly parents back in Detroit, and being grateful that they had one landline telephone in their condo, so I could still talk to them.

I remember watching the mass of people walking out of New York on Cnn...

I guess I was lucky, though the stories I heard when I moved back to town, sounds like in some ways to have been fun..neighbors coming together and BBQing and stuff like that.

So, did any of you experience it? Any interesting stories? Did anyone open up their stores of brew to their neighbors? Did anyone brew during that time?

Yup, and thank god I didn't work in Manhattan that summer. I was still in the town where I grew up in NY. No brewing for me at the time. That was probably one of the coolest/worst days ever.

Missed that one, although there was one almost as large when I lived in NJ about 40 years back.

We have lots of little blackouts here. Almost always involving 4x4 trucks & 1/2" of snow.

'4x4 trucks & 1/2" of snow"

Really? Thats sad.

I lived in Detroit at the time and flew freight out of KYIP. I happened to be out on a freight run that day and when I was filing my IFR back to KYIP they briefer was like... let me see if you can get in there, I don't know if they have power, let me check the NOTAMs. I was like, what? Come to find out that I was like the only person in the country that had not seen the news all day and had no clue.
So they are on backup power and I am able to get in... the east side of the airport had power at the hangars, the west side did not. So I WAS able to get the plane in the hangar and do my job... the eerie part was driving home and seeing NO lights. NO businesses open, NO gas stations to get gas. Sitting outside on those several days it was freaky... completely dark, quiet (curfews), no TV, no radio, nothing... no way to even know what the heck was happening. Alot of spoiled food and the car was running REALLY low on gas (no gas pumps for days)... it was surreal! I will never forget it!

Hmmmm, what made you think about this topic?

My grandmother was in a horrible car accident that day and we all had a hard time communicating with one another because of the blackout and subsequent jamming of the phone lines.

Is is all over CNN today, it is the anniversary and they are discussing how we have changed basically nothing with the power grid since then LOL

TheJadedDog said:

Hmmmm, what made you think about this topic?

My grandmother was in a horrible car accident that day and we all had a hard time communicating with one another because of the blackout and subsequent jamming of the phone lines.

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Today's the anniversary and it is all over the radio...

Sorry about your grandmother...I can't even begin to imagine how frustrated and powerless you felt then...

david_42 said:

Missed that one, although there was one almost as large when I lived in NJ about 40 years back.

We have lots of little blackouts here. Almost always involving 4x4 trucks & 1/2" of snow.

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Or freezing rain!

Revvy said:

Today's the anniversary and it is all over the radio...

Sorry about your grandmother...I can't even begin to imagine how frustrated and powerless you felt then...

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Of course, I should have guessed it was the anniversary, 5 years, blah blah blah.

Thanks for the thoughts on my grandmother, it is much appreciated.