I was in the Union Square area at a restaurant and began getting texts from the MTA about subway problems. Although it sounded terrible, I got home to Brooklyn no problem, but A trains were being turned around at Chambers St.
The Hurricane Sandy blackout was not predicted–it was the result of a transformer explosion near East 14th St… and lasted a long time–almost a week for most of Manhattan south of 14th St.
On Long Island (suburb of NYC) there was a prolonged blackout because the power company was totally unprepared.
One of my kids was in Manhattan, but unaffected. The alphabet trains were all out of commission and it was miserable for those stuck in them, but the number ones were fine , and Grand Central Station with the Metro North lines was fine. Got home with no trouble
I remember the 1965 blackout. I lived in The Bronx. I was in 1st grade and had a very mean teacher who punished you for not completing your homework. I hadn’t finished it before the blackout and I spent the entire night crying about how the teacher was going to pull me by my braids and fling me into the corner before putting the dunce cap on me (I attended a private religious school where corporal punishment was allowed). I refused to believe my mother when she said that nobody else could finish it, either.
I took my road test on the day of the 1977 blackout. Then I went home to my 13th story equivalent apartment where we were sitting shiva for my grandfather that night. I remember escorting guests down the steps holding Yahrzeit (ritual mourning) candles for light and then having to climb back up and do it again. I made about 10 trips.
My main memory of the 2003 blackout involves driving with my H into Queens from LI to get our kids from MIL’s, where the camp bus had dropped them. We picked up a guy on the road and offered him a ride. It turned out that he and H had met at a Boy scout training function years earlier. Our neighborhood at that time was prone to blackouts, so we had a generator. We had TV and working fans and the only lights in the neighborhood.
The generator came in handy during Sandy. By that time, we actually had 3. We were out of service for 11 days.
@techmom99 I was in 1st grade too! AND our house was out for 11 days during Sandy too. The common experiences of the NYC-area blackouts. Remember the ice storm? I think it was about '73 or '74.
ETA: Just looked it up. Actually the ice storm was January 1978. I must have been home from college on winter break.
Assuming you are correct, I mentioned Sandy, not to channel Dilbert’s coworker Topper, but simply to point out that there were other blackouts. Regardless, nobody predicted the extent or length of that blackout.
We all have fond memories of the 65 blackout in Brooklyn. Sitting on the stoop with all the neighbors and eating ice pops (it was hot and they would have melted in the freezer). Although I was still in Brooklyn in 77, I don’t remember that one as well. I do remember the Trammps song right after “where were you when the lights went out in NYC” When the one hit in 2003 we were living in NJ. I was at a local swimming hole with my daughter and didn’t even realize there was a big blackout until later in the day when my husband who worked in NYC had trouble getting home. As far as Sandy, when I was in NJ, that was a nightmare. No power for something like 10-11 days. I had no generator and an electric stove. We cooked on theWweber gas grill and ate out at places that had power. Lots of hours in the local library where they had power and you could get internet and some cell service. We waited in line for hours to get gas for our cars (brought back memories of the gas crisis when you could only get gas on odd or even days based upon your licence plates.)
I am glad this one didn’t last long. Looks like things were calm (none of the looting and bad behavior like in 77 and 65.)
I lose power in my house several times a year. A few years ago the dc area had a storm they called derecho and we lost power for over a week. Hubby still had to go to appointments and had to take a bath in the pool.
Go read One Second After - a story about what happens after an emp detonates over the US.
I believe infrastructure should be a bipartisan issue that really needs investment.
Let’s not get political. But understand that most power is tightly controlled by state utility commissions and state regulation Sure, the investor-owned utilities could always do more, but then the state commission overseeing them could also require that they do more.
I see it differently, garland.
Much more investment can already be made without the politicos getting involved. For example, here in California, PG&E is pilloried for not doing more to protect lines (clear trees, brush, stronger equip) from wildfires, but then the State commission that oversees PG&E could have easily required the utility to do so. The state board chose not to.
Similarly, in if an old transformer blows in Manhattan bcos it was not replaced/repaired earlier, that is on ComEd AND the state utility over-seers. Don’t need the Legislators to weigh.
(Note, in both examples, bipartisanship is not necessary, since the states are run with near veto-proof majorities. Just bad planning/oversight first and foremost.)
On a more positive note—I loved reading and seeing newscasts that the casts of Come from
away and another Broadway show went outside and entertained the folks who were losing their chance to see these shows because of the blackout!!! Actors rock.
I remember a blackout in NYC with a beautiful full moon. I was staying with my Grandmother and it’s one of my earliest memories. I was only about 2 1/2 when it happened (in 1965).