When was the last time New York had a blackout?
Today in history, New York City went black. So did the entire Northeast. Over 50 million people suffered through a brutal heat wave without electricity.
What caused New York blackout 1977?
The 25-hour outage began around 9:30 p.m. on July 13th, after a bolt of lightning struck an electrical substation in Westchester. Not long after, another lightning strike took out two more power lines, and when the Ravenswood 3 power plant in Queens went down, the city fell dark.
Why blackouts in NYC?
Blackouts are catastrophic power failures. They are more likely during summer as high temperatures, humidity and demand for electricity to power air conditioners can cause cables to overheat and lead to outages. Storms with lightning or high winds can also bring down electrical poles.
How many people died in the New York City blackout of 1977?
The 1977 New York City blackout was distinguished from those of 1965 and 2003 by violence, arson, and looting that occurred in several areas. These acts resulted in 204 civilian injuries, 436 police injuries, 80 firefighter injuries, and 1037 fires.
How many people died during the 2003 blackout?
Northeast blackout of 2003
| This image shows states and provinces that experienced power outages. Not all areas within these political boundaries were affected. | |
|---|---|
| Date | August 14–16, 2003 |
| Type | Blackout |
| Cause | Software bug in the alarm system in the control room of FirstEnergy |
| Deaths | almost 100 |
Are blackouts common in New York?
New York City has experienced historic widespread blackouts. In July 1977, electricity was out for 25 hours after lightning strikes cut service for all five boroughs.
What caused the NYC blackout?
The New York blackout of 1977 started when lightning struck an electrical substation on the Hudson River, taking out several critical power transmission lines. After attempts to manually shed load (allow some blackouts to prevent a system-wide failure) failed, the biggest generator in New York City as well as the entire Con Edison power system shut down.
When was the last blackout in New York City?
When the lights went out on August 14, 2013–less than two years after the September 11th attacks–New Yorkers initially feared terrorism. Their concerns were assuaged when Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the blackout was actually caused by a massive power outage sweeping across the Northeast.
What was the cause of the New York blackout 1977?
The city stayed dark for 25 hours and when the lights came back on, more than 1,000 cases of arson had been reported. The New York blackout of 1977 started when lightning struck an electrical substation on the Hudson River, taking out several critical power transmission lines.
When is NYC went dark?
On July 13, 1977, a massive electricity outage plunged all of New York City into darkness.