Were you affected by it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_North_America_blackout

It was the largest Blackout in North American history.  It affected 10 Million people in Canada and about 40 Million people across 8 US States  :o

It's somewhat uncanny .. just seconds before the blackout hit, I was sitting at work talking to one of my co-workers how great it would be to have like a week off.  It WAS nice having that time off from work, but having no power wasn't all that great.  I'm certainly glad it was not winter time when it hit.  It would have been just like Ice Storm '98

I wasn't, but I knew plenty of people who were.  I find these pictures to be the most fascinating:

Before

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/17/2003-blackout-before-small.jpg


After

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/78/2003-blackout-after-small.jpg


Just look at how much electricity is gone.  The entire state of Vermont is dark!

I wasn't, but I knew plenty of people who were.  I find these pictures to be the most fascinating:

Before

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/17/2003-blackout-before-small.jpg


After

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/78/2003-blackout-after-small.jpg


Just look at how much electricity is gone.  The entire state of Vermont is dark!


When was it ever bright?  ;D

When was it ever bright?  ;D



;D

As "out in the sticks" as Vermont may seem, I'm sure they had electricity before the blackout.  It just seemed odd to see a state with some bright spots in it and then suddenly they're gone.

Yeah, I remember that and what I remember about it is that we (here in Vermont) DID NOT LOSE electricty. We had a power surge and that was it. Let me see if I can remember what happened. When things in Quebec went out, the way our system works, everything kicked over to a back-up system. As for those pictures, that could have been taken as we had the power surge.




Cat

wow, I don't even remember this happening.

Oh yea I remember it well. It was a hot steamy august evening, we didn't have power for about 12 hours.

I remember that also I was watching tv then the lights went out and I was freaked but power was restored in michigan I should say I was living in michigan at the time during 2003 blackout

I had no power for about a week.  It was the worst week ever.  When you don't have any power, you really realize just how much that Power is a crucial part of our lives today.  It's any wonder how people eons ago lived without it

It really effected where I work.

Today marks the 12th anniversary of the North American Blackout, who here remembers it?

I don't think I remember the 2003 North American blackout, and I don't think I never will.  :(

EDIT: Come to think of it, I only remember 2003 as the first year that I used the Internet and that I went it was one of my preschool years. Hell, I think 2003 was just an extension to 2002.

I don't think I remember the 2003 North American blackout, and I don't think I never will.  :(

EDIT: Come to think of it, I only remember 2003 as the first year that I used the Internet and that I went it was one of my preschool years. Hell, I think 2003 was just an extension to 2002.


I can remember well, I just came off the bus from my vocational program in Manhattan and when I got off the bus and the street lights were out, it was almost pitch black and when I came home, it was dark without A/C until a day later when power was restored.

I can remember well, I just came off the bus from my vocational program in Manhattan and when I got off the bus and the street lights were out, it was almost pitch black and when I came home, it was dark without A/C until a day later when power was restored.


You had only a day without power? Wow. But I really don't know if I lost power or not (even though I was a toddler back then), since I lived in New York City.

Yeah I remember, we had to use candles and flash lights that night to see what was going on. I also remember sitting outside with my next door neighbors and we were just playing, talking, and having fun all night long  8)

You had only a day without power? Wow. But I really don't know if I lost power or not (even though I was a toddler back then), since I lived in New York City.


I think it was, maybe a day and a half but the bad part was that our Family, we all had to sleep without air conditioner for a day or so. From what I remember August 14th was a Thursday and I think my day off was the next day so I was lucky to have power restored on my off day.

Yeah I remember, we had to use candles and flash lights that night to see what was going on. I also remember sitting outside with my next door neighbors and we were just playing, talking, and having fun all night long  8)


Were you able to go to sleep? What was the temperature that day?

Were you able to go to sleep? What was the temperature that day?


From what I remember it was pretty humid, but I was able to go to sleep albeit very late  ;D

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1426555!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/blackout.jpg

Cars try to navigate their way through New York City during a blackout. 2003.

From what I remember it was pretty humid, but I was able to go to sleep albeit very late  ;D


I had trouble falling asleep but at least I had the fan going.

I remember. I was at home and it lasted for about a day or two. Had to light candles and everything. Kinda annoying it didn't happen during the school year.

I bet everyone was happy that their power was back on from this day, 12 years ago.

I bet everyone was happy that their power was back on from this day, 12 years ago.
A few years back, at one of my employments, we had a power cut, and everyone (all computer based) cheered with delight, and after a hour or so the power came back on, and we all groaned.

I bet everyone was happy that their power was back on from this day, 12 years ago.


It was great to have power back on after a day and a half and I couldn't wait to have the A/C back on too.

Tomorrow if you guys can remember back that 13 years ago we had The Blackout of 2003 when NYC went dark and power wasn't restored until a day and a half. But today as temperatures soar into the mid to upper 90's with a heat index of 105-110, please try to conserve energy by lowering your thermostat a bit and always try to run the AC on "energy saver".  :)

I was on vacation in the UK when this happened, I heard a lot of stories about it when I came back though ;D

I was on vacation in the UK when this happened, I heard a lot of stories about it when I came back though ;D


You were lucky, man. I wish my family went to Europe when all of that crap happened. Especially in the United Kingdom, since I would love their children shows there. Even Kipper. (I was about 3 and a half when it happened)

You were lucky, man. I wish my family went to Europe when all of that crap happened. Especially in the United Kingdom, since I would love their children shows there. Even Kipper. (I was about 3 and a half when it happened)


Really? I heard it wasn't that bad. People played outside, played on their Gameboys, had barbecues etc. I heard sleeping was pretty difficult though.

In the UK, there was this show I really liked, I forgot the name of it. There was this kid who's going through his day-to-day life, and the cells in his body talk to each other and coordinate so he doesn't screw up. It just looked cool :o

Really? I heard it wasn't that bad. People played outside, played on their Gameboys, had barbecues etc. I heard sleeping was pretty difficult though.


Oh. I thought it was different, but considering this took place in the early 2000s, I could understand why. But when I was 3, I was mostly into computers and TV. Although now that I think about it, I was probably more into my toys during the blackout.

I was on vacation in the UK when this happened, I heard a lot of stories about it when I came back though ;D


How did you feel?

Really? I heard it wasn't that bad. People played outside, played on their Gameboys, had barbecues etc. I heard sleeping was pretty difficult though.

In the UK, there was this show I really liked, I forgot the name of it. There was this kid who's going through his day-to-day life, and the cells in his body talk to each other and coordinate so he doesn't screw up. It just looked cool :o


It sure was, It was hard to sleep with just a fan running and an open window with just hot air blowing, very tough to sleep. :(

The blackout didn't affect me at all. But I heard stories.

The blackout didn't affect me at all. But I heard stories.


So where were you on that day?

So where were you on that day?

At my house in in western Canada. It only affected the east.

At my house in in western Canada. It only affected the east.


I had just came off the bus from work that afternoon and all the stop lights were out and I didn't know whether to cross the street or not, it was so scary. :o

The worst power outage I have ever been through was September 2008. Hurricane Ike went to the north of us and we all thought we would be spared from it. We were not, it interacted with a cold front which created an insane pressure gradient which then translated into SUPER high winds for the Ohio Valley. The winds started in Louisville and eventually worked its way up to Cincinnati by 1:30 PM. I had watched Hurricane Ike make landfall the night before like I always do when Hurricanes make landfall and stayed up until I believe 2:30 or 3:00 AM. I was at my brothers football game at the time and I remember the wind really started picking up, sand was being blown everywhere from the baseball fields. Then at around 2:00 PM we lost power and they finished the football game just 20 minutes after that. We drove to our house avoiding the debris being thrown around and found our whole beloved partridge tree in the front yard had been split in half with part of it still sorta standing and the other half completely blown down. The winds continued for another 5 hours before they died down at around 7 PM, I think we had wind gusts all the way up to 75-80 mph. the siding on some of our neighbors houses had been blown off,  we had about three trees blown down. we couldn't get down out of our street because 10 trees had fallen on the only way out. We had no power for about 5 days, from Sunday September 14th through Thursday September 19th. Had to cook all of our food, my grandparents and great grandma somehow got power back after only 1 day so we went over their sometimes. It was quite insane that all of this was caused by a weakening Tropical Cyclone, it caused over 1.5 billion dollars worth of damage in Ohio, the most damaging and costly Ohio Natural Disaster other than the 1974 Super Outbreak. I believe at one point 90% of Greater Cincinnati, the Tri-State Area, 950,000 households and or 2.1 million people had no power at all.

The worst power outage I have ever been through was September 2008. Hurricane Ike went to the north of us and we all thought we would be spared from it. We were not, it interacted with a cold front which created an insane pressure gradient which then translated into SUPER high winds for the Ohio Valley. The winds started in Louisville and eventually worked its way up to Cincinnati by 1:30 PM. I had watched Hurricane Ike make landfall the night before like I always do when Hurricanes make landfall and stayed up until I believe 2:30 or 3:00 AM. I was at my brothers football game at the time and I remember the wind really started picking up, sand was being blown everywhere from the baseball fields. Then at around 2:00 PM we lost power and they finished the football game just 20 minutes after that. We drove to our house avoiding the debris being thrown around and found our whole beloved partridge tree in the front yard had been split in half with part of it still sorta standing and the other half completely blown down. The winds continued for another 5 hours before they died down at around 7 PM, I think we had gust all the way up to 75-80 mph. the siding on some of our neighbors houses had been blown off,  we had about three trees blown down. we couldn't get down out of our street because 10 trees had fallen on the only way out. We had no power for about 5 days, from Sunday September 14th through Thursday September 19th. Had to cook all of our food, my grandparents and great grandma somehow got power back after only 1 day so we went over their sometimes. It was quite insane that all of this was caused by a weakening Tropical Cyclone, it caused over 1.5 billion dollars worth of damage in Ohio, the most damaging and costly Ohio Natural Disaster other than the 1974 Super Outbreak. I believe at one point 99% of Greater Cincinnati, the Tri-State Area, and or 950,000 household and or 2.1 million people had no power at all.


I pretty much felt horrible during Hurricane Sandy, since I lived in New York. My house didn't got power for three days when Sandy hit NYC. I was so devastated, that I'll get upset over everything that didn't have to deal with electricity. Of course, I did went to my grandma's house where she did had electricity sometimes. But it wasn't that great, since her house is a bit uncomfortable to deal with. Especially her bedroom, which is where her computer was. The moments where I had to go back to my house were just terrible, especially where I just wish the electricity was back on. Thank god it was only three days, or else I would've stayed at my grandma's house, which is what my mom offered me during Sandy.

I was so glad when the electricity came on. It was around 3am, and I couldn't wait to go down stairs to use my computer. However, my mom suggested that I should wait until 6 or 7am, which I did. I never really felt so happy in 2012 when my electricity came on by then. It was possibly the happiest moment that I had that year. I was so overwhelmed over my 8th grade year, along with the dreadful summer that happened before it. So having a week off from my middle school was a big pleasure for me, especially when it opened a week after Sandy hit my borough in NYC.

I am lucky that I have not really experienced any power outages for a prolonged period.

I pretty much felt horrible during Hurricane Sandy, since I lived in New York. My house didn't got power for three days when Sandy hit NYC. I was so devastated, that I'll get upset over everything that didn't have to deal with electricity. Of course, I did went to my grandma's house where she did had electricity sometimes. But it wasn't that great, since her house is a bit uncomfortable to deal with. Especially her bedroom, which is where her computer was. The moments where I had to go back to my house were just terrible, especially where I just wish the electricity was back on. Thank god it was only three days, or else I would've stayed at my grandma's house, which is what my mom offered me during Sandy.

I was so glad when the electricity came on. It was around 3am, and I couldn't wait to go down stairs to use my computer. However, my mom suggested that I should wait until 6 or 7am, which I did. I never really felt so happy in 2012 when my electricity came on by then. It was possibly the happiest moment that I had that year. I was so overwhelmed over my 8th grade year, along with the dreadful summer that happened before it. So having a week off from my middle school was a big pleasure for me, especially when it opened a week after Sandy hit my borough in NYC.



Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 was a force to be reckoned with. Our Family had to deal with lit candles and listen to a radio for a while until power came back on. We were so bored that we all got so nudgedy about not having a computer that we couldn't wait for it to come back on, after it all came back on, we were happy again. :)

Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 was a force to be reckoned with. Our Family had to deal with lit candles and listen to a radio for a while until power came back on. We were so bored that we all got so nudgedy about not having a computer that we couldn't wait for it to come back on, after it all came back on, we were happy again. :)


Same with me. Although I used my iPad sometimes during Sandy, but most of the apps weren't accessible because the Internet went out as well.

Same with me. Although I used my iPad sometimes during Sandy, but most of the apps weren't accessible because the Internet went out as well.


I got bored because we had no internet and I had to make the most of the day without it.

I got bored because we had no internet and I had to make the most of the day without it.


Well, at least you could talk to your family. I don't know how bad it was in Manhattan, so I'm not sure if you were able to leave your home during Sandy.

I pretty much felt horrible during Hurricane Sandy, since I lived in New York. My house didn't got power for three days when Sandy hit NYC. I was so devastated, that I'll get upset over everything that didn't have to deal with electricity. Of course, I did went to my grandma's house where she did had electricity sometimes. But it wasn't that great, since her house is a bit uncomfortable to deal with. Especially her bedroom, which is where her computer was. The moments where I had to go back to my house were just terrible, especially where I just wish the electricity was back on. Thank god it was only three days, or else I would've stayed at my grandma's house, which is what my mom offered me during Sandy.

I was so glad when the electricity came on. It was around 3am, and I couldn't wait to go down stairs to use my computer. However, my mom suggested that I should wait until 6 or 7am, which I did. I never really felt so happy in 2012 when my electricity came on by then. It was possibly the happiest moment that I had that year. I was so overwhelmed over my 8th grade year, along with the dreadful summer that happened before it. So having a week off from my middle school was a big pleasure for me, especially when it opened a week after Sandy hit my borough in NYC.


In August 2004, when Hurricane Charley and Hurricane Frances came through Georgia back-to-back, we were without power at our house for nearly 10 consecutive days! :o

It was so bad that my parents actually wound up having to live out of a hotel for over a week before they got the power turned back on. 8-P

The longest I've been consecutively without electricity was the 2013 Toronto Ice Storm. I got my electricity back two days later. It was in the dead of winter though, I think the temperature in my house dropped to 8C/45F before the electricity finally came on :o

Other than that, I've been to third world countries where electricity wasn't on most the day, but it wasn't gone consecutively for long periods of time.

Well, at least you could talk to your family. I don't know how bad it was in Manhattan, so I'm not sure if you were able to leave your home during Sandy.


It was pretty bad that day. I was able to leave my house but during the day was ok but during the night I needed a flashlight to see where I was going.

In August 2004, when Hurricane Charley and Hurricane Frances came through Georgia back-to-back, we were without power at our house for nearly 10 consecutive days! :o

It was so bad that my parents actually wound up having to live out of a hotel for over a week before they got the power turned back on. 8-P


You lived in a hotel during one of the hurricanes? That seems cool, but I'm not sure how they got electricity if it was near your area or something.

Rise from the dead! RIIIIISE!

Does anyone here remember if public transportation in urban centers came to a halt?

Definitely heard of it on the news. There was also a massive heatwave in Europe that year.

Damn 2003 was a savage year ;D

Rise from the dead! RIIIIISE!

Does anyone here remember if public transportation in urban centers came to a halt?

Yup I watched it on the news the Toronto street cars were all stopped in the middle of the road.

It didn't affect me. I don't even remember it.

Rise from the dead! RIIIIISE!

Does anyone here remember if public transportation in urban centers came to a halt?


From what I can recall, the traffic lights where I lived weren't working so you had to take caution walking across the street. :o

As a 4 year old in Brooklyn at the time I have some memory of it. I remember that day I was watching tv then the power went out, so me and my friends met up and rode bikes, jumped rope, hopscotched and generally enjoyed that summer day outside.

and this coming August will mark 15 years since The Blackout. :o

and this coming August will mark 15 years since The Blackout. :o
...with another blackout?

...with another blackout?


You know I really hope history does not repeat itself, now with more technology options, more things are possible. Back in 2003, you didn't have many options.

You know I really hope history does not repeat itself, now with more technology options, more things are possible. Back in 2003, you didn't have many options.
Be prepared just in case, but candles, food, etc?

Be prepared just in case, but candles, food, etc?


We have candles I believe and a lot of perishables too just in case the refrigerator goes out.

You know I really hope history does not repeat itself, now with more technology options, more things are possible. Back in 2003, you didn't have many options.


I was about to say that. I had my Gameboy back then, but that's it! Now I have my smartphone, my Nintendo Switch, my 3DS, my laptop etc.

I honestly haven't heard of it until now.  :o

I was about to say that. I had my Gameboy back then, but that's it! Now I have my smartphone, my Nintendo Switch, my 3DS, my laptop etc.


In 2003, I still had my Gameboy and I think I had a PS2 at the time.