Holy Sh%$! Lights Out In The Ne!

[fishinfarmgirl]

In case you haven't heard...Power is OUT in the North East! I assume that includes flatfloor and others!

Serious things afoot!

Don't like the way things are looking today!

L

Two suspected terrorists were arrested at SeaTac airport yesterday!

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[John Bridge]

I don't see any terrorist links here. Please let's not jump to conclusions. It could very well be, and probably is, attributable to the greedy bastards who control energy in this country. Perhaps they are over-allocated. :)

[fishinfarmgirl]

Oh goodness! Guess that come out weird! Just meant SERIOUS in that NY is packed with folks trapped in the heat with no way home at the moment!

FBI and others don't think it's teroroist related...rather from a large chain of events on the grids!

L

BUT...the two arrested in SEATAC were headed to NY...so it do makes me wonder!

L

[John Bridge]

From watching the news coverage, I've become educated on how power is supplied throughout the country and parts of Canada. There are three major power "grids," one in the East, one in the West and one for, hold your breath, TEXAS. :)

Seems we in the Republic of Texas have our own power grid. :D

[fishinfarmgirl]

FIGURES! :D Don't they say everything (or almost everything) is bigger in TEXAS?

Apparently the power bills included! ;)

L

[Scooter]

This was all a conspiracy by the electrical suppliers in Texas. See, Gray Davis was right all along.

[Gil Smith]

There are three major power "grids," one in the East, one in the West and one for, hold your breath, TEXAS.

Coincidentally, the last project I worked on (completed November 2002) was the 90,000 sf building that houses the command and control center for the entire Texas grid, located in Taylor, Texas about 30 miles ne of Austin. The building has thick reinforced concrete walls, and is virtually indestructible, but was designed primarily to withstand extreme tornadic winds. State of the art security and surveillance is installed, and it has enough onsite emergency generation to power a small town and enough diesel fuel storage to last several days at full load. They are prepared to handle an emergency, and in in the unlikely event anything were to happen to this facility, there's a 100% redundant facility located here in Austin.;)

There's more computer power in that place than I'd ever seen before, but not much tile. :crap: A lot of terrazzo floors and stone countertops and window sills, though.

If you live in Texas it's likely part of your electricity bill goes to pay for these facilities and for grid management. ;)

[Cisco]

Power is back online!!!!

Its about 5:45 AM Friday morning, power was back online about 4:45AM. A little over 12 hrs of power loss in all. Only slightly nerve racking in the beginning but as information was passed on turned out to be nothing terrorist related. From the information I have gathered a majority of the North east gets some of its power from the Niagara/Mohawk power authority. From what I understand NYC and other areas (including mine) receive power from outside sources, the amount of power received needs to be in equal proportion to the additional power that is generated locally before its send on its merry way to the general power user. When the Niagara/Mohawk power grid started to shut down, by default, any areas that receive power from them need to shut down there local generating systems. So basically it was a domino effect of systems shutting down. The safe guard systems that should have prevented this did not work. So anyway we have power now and hopefully it will stay online :)

It’s amazing how dependent we are on electricity. With no power we are pretty useless. Fired up my generator to power some essentials and then realized I couldn’t even go to gas station to get more fuel...:(


Well its 6:00 and it’s off the grind....:)

[dian57]

Hi, just checking in after an interesting evening and night without power. Things flickered and gasped a few times around 4:20 and then quit. Generators came on at work so it was life as usual.

Unfortunately, all the traffic lights went out and it was a mandated 4-way stop procedure at all intersections without police directing traffic. That made for an extended time on the road because people get impatient and confused.

The radio stations all went off the air one by one as their back-up batteries failed until there was only one station broadcasting. Walt and I played cards with the neighbors until it was too dark to see and then went to bed.

At least it wasn't oppressively hot and muggy like it was during the blackout of 1977. I was in nursing school at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital at that time and chaos and madness ruled the day.

[John Bridge]

Flatfloor is not accounted for. I understand there are still a few isolated pockets of resistance. :)

[fishinfarmgirl]

It’s amazing how dependent we are on electricity.

Isn't THAT the truth! Shows our vulnerabilities more than I'm comfortable with!

Glad you all made out okay...and glad it wasn't terror related!

Hey John~ Have you tried calling flatfloor? I guess parts of Lon Gisland are still without power according to the news.

All my family are out that way as well. Crazy stuff!

L

[davem]

We went out with everyone else, but it came back on this am. We're lucky, most in our area are still dark.

[John Bridge]

I put in a call to flatfloor's residence in Lon Gisland. He was out screwing off, but I talked to Kathleen. Their electricity came back on about 2AM but they've been asked not to run anything electrical that isn't needed. I guess things are still a bit shakey over that way. She says there are still people without power to the east of them. I think they're in South Hampton?

[fishinfarmgirl]

Yep John...that's where they are. Along with all the hoity toities! ;)

Glad they got it back!

L

[tdoyon]

Detroit still had no power this morning when I left. I had the joy of being one of those folks stranded at the airport. I'm amazed the newscasters forgot to mention how the airport told us all to "go home" because they were shutting down the airport. Hello? What did you think we were there for? The atmosphere?? :rolleyes:

I spent a nice evening with a new friend from Houston with whom I shared a price gouging cab ($180????) with as well as the hotel room with the nicest staff ever (Holiday Inn Express, downtown. 1020 Washington Blvd., 20 miles from the airport), but no running water.

I think I lost some weight crossing the entire Detroit airport (twice without walkways or escalators) and going up and down the 10 stories to our hotel room. The hotel staff managed to find us a cab to get us back to the airport ($40) and Continental got us out of Detroit at 10am on an unscheduled flight. The only scarey part was when we woke up in the middle of the night by a woman's screams. ::shudder::

I never thought I'd say this - but I was soooooo happy to be home in Houston!!! :D

[fishinfarmgirl]

Oh my gosh! HOW long were you stranded?????

And HOW much did that cab cost??? That is INSANE!

So glad you made it home and all is well! :D

L

[jjwq8]

Would the last person leaving New York please turn on the lights?:D

[WilliamL]

After the initial shock of the power being it out-it got worse here,no water.Cant even swin because Lake Erie turned into a big septic tank.We are on a water boil alert here and arent supposed to use power or water unless neccessary,cops giving out tickets if you water you lawn.Amazing how people pull together in times like this.

[jjwq8]

You mean that in Cleveland you routinely drink stuff out the tap without boiling it first anyway?

Colour me gob-smacked:bow:

Last time I was in Cleveland only thing safe to drink without first being nuked/boiled etc came out of a bottle labelled Heinekin:D

[jjwq8]

Actually on consideration I need to apologize to one and all. It is a serious situation and my levity is inappropriate.

Consider this however.

What has occurred in the US is close to a national disaster, given the areas hit and the potential effects.

Now please spare a thought for the Iraqis who have had the same thing for months, in temperatures that melt asphalt (at night!) and who are now being criticized (in some quarters) as ingrates. Their reaction is unconscionable but understable none-the-less.

In the mid eighties we went through a summer of brown-outs and black-outs after a major power station fire that lasted several months.

Anyone experiencing anything similar anywhere has my complete sympathy and best wishes.

[WilliamL]

BTW Jeremy,cleveland has some of the best drinking water in the country.

[Derek & Jacqui]

Jeremy,
Also went through a three day week when good old Ted Heath was in power.:D

[jjwq8]

Excuse me but aren't you forgetting your recent history?
Ted Heath may have held the office but he never had the power.
Back then the entire country paid homage to the Dear Leader and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Republic of South Yorkshire, one Arthur Scargill.:D

[fishinfarmgirl]

Amazing how people pull together in times like this.

Good stuff that is!!! :D

L