Who here lost power?

[Hyperluminal]

Apparently, in a lot of the east coast of North America, people have lost electricity. I'm one of them. :(
We just got phones back, and I can use my notebook (batteries :way to go: ) to go on the internet. I know a lot of you here are on the east coast, so who else lost power?

[GoldKey]

About 2 hrs from the east cost in Tallahassee FL. No problems.

[Steven Cedrone]

About 30 minutes North West of Philadelphia, no problems...(other than the fact that these work connections I am using now are routed through servers in NY - hope we can keep the generators going)

Steve

[Jason Dunn]

Uh, if everyone who HAS power is going to post, this is going to be a very long thread. How about everyone who has lost power posts, like the original poster asked? :wink:

Granted, if you have no power, and have forum access, I wish your batteries the longest life possible. :-)

[Fzara]

I lost power for about 10 minutes, but i'm one of the couple of only lucky ones in NJ who has power. Thankfully the wireless router, laptop, and modem have made the best usage today. ;)

[Hyperluminal]

Granted, if you have no power, and have forum access, I wish your batteries the longest life possible. :-)
Lol. Thanks. :)
Though once my PC dies (I've got 81% right now), I still have my iPaq and my handy old CF dialup card. :) I wish I could use WiFi, but my router doesn't use batteries. :( (though I guess it's for the better, since WiFi would just drain my batteries more than a normal modem...)

[Dave Beauvais]

A friend of mine in Cleveland, Ohio says that pretty much that entire city is out. He can't get much info because most radio and televisions stations are dead, too. He's been stuck in traffic for that last three hours trying to get home from work. I'm in Columbus, Ohio and we are unaffected by this outage.

CNN (http://www.cnn.com/) has some info about this on their front page, but of course I can't say how accurate it is. :)

--Dave

[Eitel]

As i posted in the other thread I created (sorry, didn't saw this one), I'm stranded at work, since there's no point in going out on the trafic. At least here we have power (generator), AC (on the data center) and internet (DS3 to the net). Now, I just need to find who's delivering pizza. :roll:

[maximus]

What happened in the US & Canada anyway ? Any special reason for the powerloss ?

[Kati Compton]

What happened in the US & Canada anyway ? Any special reason for the powerloss ?

Last I heard they were guessing a lightning strike near Niagra Falls.

[redifrogger]

I lost power for 5 hrs, from 4 - 9. :cry: I'm in Akron, OH, 30 min. south of Cleveland. Niagara had clear skies, and National Weather Service reported no storms or lightning, so I think something else is to blame.

[Video11]

I'm in London, Ontario and the power here was out from 4:15pm to 11:20pm. London is halfway between Detroit and Toronto, across Lake Erie from Cleveland. I won't comment on the cause of the blackout, because the radio seems to reporting mostly rumours so far.

It was actually kind of nice sitting outside in the dark. Without the light pollution you could really see the stars and we even spotted a few meteors. And of course a nearly full moon and Mars to boot.

[ctmagnus]

It was actually kind of nice sitting outside in the dark. Without the light pollution you could really see the stars and we even spotted a few meteors. And of course a nearly full moon and Mars to boot.

Try living away from a large center. No light pollution, no smog. Only thing inhibiting your view of the night sky is clouds. It's all very wonderful. It's also the main reason I chose to come back here from Calgary.

However, the power tripped here few days ago, I assume a result of the forest fires in the distant area.

[maximus]

It was actually kind of nice sitting outside in the dark. Without the light pollution you could really see the stars and we even spotted a few meteors. And of course a nearly full moon and Mars to boot.

Sorry for being O/T, just curious whether you guys heard about this already, I am really looking forward to see this:

This month and next month the Earth is catching up with Mars,an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287.

Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on Mars and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the last 5,000 years but it may be as long as 60,000 years.

The encounter will culminate on August 27th when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky. It will attain a magnitude of -2.9 and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide.

At a modest 75-power magnification Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. Mars will be easy to spot. At the beginning of August, Mars will rise in the east at 10p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m. By the end of August when the two planets are closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30 a.m. That's pretty convenient when it comes to seeing something that no human has seen in recorded history. So mark your calendar at the beginning of August to see Mars grows progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month.

[jeffmd]

I'm in syracuse and got hit full on with the power out (just turned back on at around 11pm). I was actually on the net with my dell x5 and t68i phone which was getting coverage and a network (thank god for packet switching! no such thing as limited # of users ;) ). Would have used my laptop but currently having issues with reliably connecting my phone (I usually use the easier irda method too) to my laptop. So i got to read everyone at fark.com laugh at us. ;)

[Dave Beauvais]

:soapbox:
The thing that annoys me the most about all this is people bitching about how there's nothing to do. Yeah, no electricity is an inconvenience, but it's a temporary condition. Take a nap, read a book, or -- God forbid -- talk to someone! Stop worrying about what stupid "reality" show you're missing on TV, or how you can't download MP3s.

That friend from Cleveland who I mentioned before called me no fewer than three times tonight because he was bored and had nothing better to do than to inform me of that fact. He didn't have anything to talk about; he was just telling me how bored he was without his computers and cable modem. Uh, thanks, but you're safe at home now, and I just don't feel all that bad for you. Go get a life and do something. You have a girlfriend. If all else fails, I'm sure the two of you can find something to do that doesn't require electricity.
:boohoo:

A few hundred thousand people in this area were without power for nearly thirty-six straight hours a few weeks ago, but somehow I survived the ordeal. :roll: I read an e-book during daylight hours with the backlight of my iPAQ off, played a few games of Upwords (http://www.hasbro.com/games/pl/page.viewproduct/product_id.9630/dn/default.cfm) while visiting with my mom, read a magazine (http://www.maximumpc.com/), and had nice long conversations with actual real people -- in person! No TVs, no radios, and nothing else to distract me.

Here are a few legitimate (in my opinion) things to worry about: No power in hospitals. No air conditioning if you are someone especially prone to heat-related problems. People stuck in traffic who are at the mercy of all the idiots on the road who think they need to get somewhere faster than everyone else. Crime. No power often means no security systems. Crime is a valid thing to bitch about. Your inability to play on your Playstation is not. People stranded in elevators, subway trains, etc.Thus concludes my rant for today. I am now going to bed. :)

--Dave

[jeffmd]

A few misconceptions in your list.

--No power in hospitals.

No hospital that tends to life or death patients is built without a power backup solution. Any hospital worth going to will have a backup generator. You never read about mass deaths at hospitals when the power goes out and everyone on life support dies. ;)


--- No air conditioning if you are someone especially prone to heat-related problems.

A valid problem but usually stupid people are the ones that don't resolve it. #1 car's have ac, #2 there are places using generators that have running ac and are designated areas for "old" people. I know the radio was listing places off when a listener called in about it. #3 if you are prone to heat problems, you should setup easy access to a pool.

--People stuck in traffic who are at the mercy of all the idiots on the road who think they need to get somewhere faster than everyone else.

This works for about the first 2 hours... after that, anyone on the road is a dumbass who isn't staying home, or someone working to resolve the above problem. ;) While I would leave them to all kill themselves, fact is they make firetrucks and ambulances that much harder to do their job. My mom saw a guy in a sports car CUT an ambulance off today!


--Crime. No power often means no security systems. Crime is a valid thing to bitch about.

Thankfully guns do not require an outlet. ;)


--- People stranded in elevators, subway trains, etc.

Unless you're elderly, it isn't actually hard to pry open elevator doors and get out. Subways are a big issue of course, as we saw on the new york footage.

[Kati Compton]

--- No air conditioning if you are someone especially prone to heat-related problems.

A valid problem but usually stupid people are the ones that don't resolve it. #1 car's have ac, #2 there are places using generators that have running ac and are designated areas for "old" people. I know the radio was listing places off when a listener called in about it. #3 if you are prone to heat problems, you should setup easy access to a pool.
#1 doesn't really work if it's a long power outage if you didn't plan ahead and get a full tank of gas... And most pools around here would be closed if there's no electricity. I'd have to go visit parental figures, and that again depends on having gas in the car, as they're just over an hour away. And it involves driving w/o electricity for traffic signals.

But wait - driving without electricity... No tolls on the highway! ;)

[iant54]

I gather that, although the power in New York has been restored, the biggest problem about doing any work today is that various buildings' security staff won't let people in - leastways, that's what we've heard from our New York people!

[Jacob]

Dave Beauvais - I think you definitely have a point also that you know there was a time when we didn't have these things and we still managed to have fun and enjoy things... why can't we now? :D

I just get pissed every time I hear about vendors who doubled/tripled their prices in situations like this... may there be a special place in hell for them.

[jherubin]

I live about 8 miles from Detroit. Lost power yesterday about 4:15pm. Just came back on a few minutes ago. Total down time was approx. 22 hours.

[Dave Beauvais]

... I just get pissed every time I hear about vendors who doubled/tripled their prices in situations like this...
When the power was out here for more than a day, bags of ice which normally sell for between eighty-nine and ninety-nine cents were on "sale" for a whopping $2.99 at most stores and gas stations. For ice! That's just not right. It's like the a-holes who jacked up the price of gas to nearly $6.00 a gallon on 2001-09-11 just to screw people out of as much money as possible. :evil:

--Dave

[Janak Parekh]

A few hundred thousand people in this area were without power for nearly thirty-six straight hours a few weeks ago, but somehow I survived the ordeal. :roll:
I agree with most of your post, although I do have to point out it's totally different in urban versus surburban areas. We've endured many power failures on Long Island without a hiccup; but, to have full outage in New York City is a big deal and it's harder to manage. One case in point: I stayed in a friend's apartment in midtown NYC last night, but there was no running water because they needed electricity for the pumps. :cry: There was still no power in midtown (I was across the street from the Empire State Building) when I managed to leave at noon today. It was bizarre to see 7 trains just sitting in weird spots on their tresles, with just one door open. 8O

--janak

[Janak Parekh]

Dave Beauvais - I think you definitely have a point also that you know there was a time when we didn't have these things and we still managed to have fun and enjoy things... why can't we now? :D
We're addicted to our gadgets, that's why. ;)

Seriously: we're much more dependent on electricity now as a society than we ever were before. Thank goodness most basic utilities (telephone, water) generally don't need electricity, but not without exceptions. In my friend's apartment, we had no phones working; both cell phones and landline phones were out. That makes it difficult to stay in touch with family, who are trying to reach you to see if you're safe.

--janak

[Fzara]

This really makes us wonder why the heck we haven't seen an alternative poewr solution which has been designed, and planned for developement in the near future.

Our society is in an energy crisis; if we don't do anything about it now, it will be too late. I would love to see some kind of alternative solution being developed, for ex., solar power, hydrogen powered, etc., which could eventually revolutionize, and give energy a new, cleaner, and safer new name.

On a sidenote, Janak, how close is Midtown to Times Square? I heard Times Square had power, and was wonderng why Midtown doesn't have power yet.

[Janak Parekh]

This really makes us wonder why the heck we haven't seen an alternative poewr solution which has been designed, and planned for developement in the near future.
Good question. Our society tends to favor "short-term", "cheap" solutions, but the lack of foresight will eventually bite us back. Problem is alternative energy is expensive, short-term, to implement.

On a sidenote, Janak, how close is Midtown to Times Square? I heard Times Square had power, and was wonderng why Midtown doesn't have power yet.
Times Square is part of midtown. I should be more accurate and say "parts of midtown didn't have power"; Times Square apparently got it late in the morning, but I was in the Herald/Greeley Square area (33rd & 5th, right near the Empire State Building), and that was most definitely still dead at noon. It should be back up now, from what I hear.

--janak

[maximus]

I am curious. None of you has small power generator ? In asia, power generators are must have. I have a small 5 kilowatts gasoline power generator in singapore, when power is out, the generator automatically disconnects the house from external power, and turns itself on. Nifty. I will have enough power for aircon, computers, TV, fridge, etc.

[Janak Parekh]

I am curious. None of you has small power generator ? In asia, power generators are must have.
Critical services in the city do, and in the suburbs it's more common, but realize this was the first major outage in approximately 25 years in New York. All the generators would have rusted in that time. :lol: And where would you put them for high-rise apartments?

--janak

[ctmagnus]

I am curious. None of you has small power generator ? In asia, power generators are must have. I have a small 5 kilowatts gasoline power generator in singapore, when power is out, the generator automatically disconnects the house from external power, and turns itself on. Nifty. I will have enough power for aircon, computers, TV, fridge, etc.

We have a generator (even though we're not in New York ;) ) but it's extremely rare that we crank it up, even if the power does go off for several hours. But then, when the power goes off here we generally also lose cable + Internet.

[maximus]

Critical services in the city do, and in the suburbs it's more common, but realize this was the first major outage in approximately 25 years in New York. All the generators would have rusted in that time. :lol:


Yeah, perhaps that is the reason. Because you guys are so blessed with steady supply of power, hence contingencies are no longer necessary. You really should visit asia more often. he he. I once saw a 5 star hotel in Jakarta evacuating all its guests, because they have power problem. 8O

And where would you put them for high-rise apartments?
--janak

Apartments usually have a set of big generators in the backyard. The monthly maintenance that we pay usually also covers the maintenance and running cost of the generators.

[Janak Parekh]

Apartments usually have a set of big generators in the backyard.
Backyard? What backyard??? ;)

(OK, there is often a small alley or similar behind/between apartment buildings... but I'm not sure there's uniformly enough space to throw generators around, at least in Manhattan.)

--janak

[maximus]

Yeah, I forgot how expensive the price of land in new york is. :mrgreen: Uh well. No backup generators for you guys. What caused the power failure anyway ?

[ctmagnus]

What caused the power failure anyway ?

Apparantly a Ohio power company. Info here (http://www.msnbc.com/news/952578.asp?cp1=1). Interesting reading: malfunctioning alarms, employee misconduct...