08-14-2003, 12:59 PM
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#6 (permalink)
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Please touch this.
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Location: Manhattan
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Quote:
Power disaster hits North America
Last Updated Thu, 14 Aug 2003 16:57:51
TORONTO - A power outage such as North American hasn't seen in almost 40 years has crippled huge areas of Canada and the United States. Industry, government and transportation have ground to a complete halt.
There's no clear explanation why the power is out. One report says the Niagara-Mohawk power grid is overloaded, and that could be the explanation for the power outage. The U.S. government says it is not an act of terrorism.
However it appears unlikely an overload of the Niagara Mohawk power grid could cause such widespread damage on its own. The company Web site says serves 1.5 million customers in upstate New York.
So far it isn't clear just how extensive the outage is - but reports of power cuts have been reported all the way from Chicago to New York and from Ottawa to Washington.
There are also reports of a fire at the Con Edison Plant in New York State that may be related to the power failure.
The disaster struck just after 4:15 p.m. ET and with the afternoon rush hour about to hit, it looks as if traffic gridlock is about to hit every major urban centre including, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, New York, and Detroit.
The New York subway system is out of service. The Port Authority Police say there are also no buses, or trains running in the city. In November 1965 a blackout struck eastern Canada and the northeast U.S. turning out the lights for more than 13 hours.
There are reports of an evacuation at Parliament Hill.
In New York, traffic is gridlocked as people try to leave the city, fearing the blackout may be connected to a terrorist attack. People on foot joined the cars on the crowded highways.
The full scope of the disaster isn?t yet known. Officials at the Independent Electricity Market Operator, the organization responsible for power in Ontario, has not yet commented.
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