topic Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004 in Community Chat

Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

I am still oxox — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 21:32:10 GMT

I remember the day very well my husband had taken the day off we spent to day at Manhattan Beach Brooklyn and just got home and the lights went out, I called my Mom who lived in Scarsdale at the time and they had no lights. We had a battery powered TV and was able to broadcast and put together all the pieces. I was my younger brother's 45th birthday and he was in his office near Grand Central I am not sure how he got home. We spent to night at home in the blistering heat, and sat out back of our building during the day. Later that Friday we came up to my Mom for dinner and to spend the night, my neighbor called and power had been returned, so we ate dinner and went home, to clean out the fridge and pack for our scheduled trip to a hotel in NJ, its a time I do not want to remember this day yet I can not forget it.

Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

PA Mom-mom — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 12:07:06 GMT

@I am still oxox I'm not remembering news about that outage. I do clearly remember the outage in the northeast in 1968. It became a national story, because songs and a movie were made about it. It was suggested that there was a significant increase of babies being born nine months later.

Here in PA, we're kind of used to losing power for hours on end.

ETA: Yes., I stand corrected. It was 1965, not 1968.

Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

newjersey — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 22:50:20 GMT

I think it was 2003, not 2004.

Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

ValuSkr — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 23:16:20 GMT

I don't remember that one either. But, as was mentioned, in PA, outages aren't unusual.

Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

felixmom — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 00:07:50 GMT

The northeast blackout that I remember was in 1965. I was junior in high school and did my homework to candles on the kitchen table! That afternoon, my friend (and still friend!) had gone to Harvard Square by bus to purchase the latest Beatles album and were chatting excitedly and never noticed the lights were out. Got off the bus and there was my mother with a flashlight and our dog waiting for us! Good memories...

Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

docsgirl — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 01:28:49 GMT

I was born and raised in New York. If memory serves me correctly, the blackout was sometime in the 60's. We lived in Queens, but my dad who worked in Manhattan walked all the way home. The reason the 60's rings a bell to me is that I was still in college (St. John's University) and still living at home. When he walked through the door, my mom flung her arms around him as she was so grateful he was home safe and sound. How I miss my wonderful parents and our house in Queens.

Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

Lucky Charm — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 02:21:06 GMT

My oldest son was up visiting his girlfriend (now wife) in NYC and I called him to ask him how it was going with the outtage.

They had no idea what was going on. They thought it was just the house and maybe the street they were on that had a power outtage.

Now he works for the power company. (con Ed)

Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

Zaimee — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 03:36:02 GMT

@felixmom @docsgirl

I remember the 1965 blackout in NYC. I was also in 8th grade in junior high school (JHS 185) in Queens, NYC!

I remember reading a book, Death Be Not Proud, by candlelight.

And, my father worked in Manhatten in the garment center and had to stay overnight since the elevator and subways stopped working.

Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

KBEANS — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 04:15:13 GMT

@newjersey

You're correct, it was 2003. The reason I know that is because I was nervous, as my son had just been appointed to the Police Academy. They were mobilized throughout the 5 boroughs.

His phone died and we didn't hear from him for hours, until my husband's nephew a Lt. ran into him at his post and he used his to tell us his location.

There was another blackout NYC in July 1977; when I was a teen. I found that one so exciting as I was out with friends when it happened. I was too young to remember the first one in the 60's so here was my blacklout! 😂

Someone had the sense to say go home because blackouts could be dangerous. My friends boyfriend drove a few of us home.

It was terribly scary because there were no traffic lights or lamp post lights throughout Manhattan.

Suddenly, I realized that it wasn't so cool, especially when we began to witness all the looting and mayhem in our neighborhood!

When I finally got to my building I had to walk up 4 flights of stairs in a pitch staircase! When I got near my floor, I wondered if it was the correct floor because it was easy to lose count. 😝 I was getting paranoid in that staircase!

My neighbor saw me come in the building and had come out to assist. She flashed a flashlight in my eyes and I screamed. 😝 She yelled back at me and said; Kbeans what the he ll are you doing out in a blackout!

I started wondering that myself.

Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

CatsyCline — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 04:16:45 GMT

@Zaimee i remember reading Death Be Not Proud i think also 8th grade. i remember the author wrote about the brain tumor, scary. it was the size of an orange, or was it a grapefruit...

My mother was ironing and we were watching cartoon shows on TV when the lights went out in 1965. i was 8. one of those things you never forget! we lived on Long Island. we had just gone to the World's Fair a few weeks before it ended.

Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

Snowpuppy — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 04:48:20 GMT

Oh, I remember it well in 2003.

I worked in a high rise office building. We lost power at work and I hiked down the steps. All the traffic lights were out.

DS and I had a meeting place at the library in an emergency after 9/11 if anything like that happened again.

I was listening to the radio on the interstate heading home. Power out as far north as Toronto. I passed by cars on the interstate, drivers stranded, out of gas. Truly surreal.

Power was out for 3 days. No water at home as the city pump stations were out. Good thing we had bottled water and a 50 gal gas hot water tank.

Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

CalminHeart — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 11:51:28 GMT

It's been 3 years since a huge derecho hit - 140+ mph winds and a huge storm. Many were without power for 2 weeks. Luckily, I got mine back in 5 days. But the damage to homes, trees, and fields was massive. It took 243 person-hours to clean up just my back yard and then I had to wait 4 months for the tree service to finish fixing the trees.

Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

Eileen in Virginia — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 12:58:38 GMT

I also remember the 2003 blackout. We were visiting my in-laws in North Jersey and had just dropped DS off at their house before going to the hotel where DH and I were staying. We were about halfway back to the hotel when the traffic lights went out (it was in the afternoon). I couldn't believe the chaos that ensued on the roads. It was as though they'd never encountered traffic lights going out before. We made it back to the hotel safely and confirmed that the in-laws and our son were okay. I don't remember how long it lasted, but things got back to normal before we went home. Luckily, the power was back when we got home, too.

Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

ruthbe — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 14:06:13 GMT

when I saw the head line I was going to mention if anyone remembers the big one in the east coast in the 60's? I was a little girl in Syracuse. As a kid we had fun...camped out in the living room. I'm guessing not so fun for my parents.

Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

ID2 — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 14:46:29 GMT

Yes, it was in 2003. It was a few months before my mom died.

Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

chrystaltree — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 17:38:30 GMT

I remember it. Just 20 years? Feels longer.

Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

debfau — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 18:21:03 GMT

I do remember it well as I was on an airplane from DC to Toronto and we had to circle the Great Lake up there several times, they finally let our plane land and sent a bus out to me us to bring us back to terminal - no one knew what happened until we got into Terminal.

Worst thing was I was staying out in burbs and trying to get there, shared a taxi with someone else and once I got to hotel, management was using flashlights to show people to their rooms. On the second day out there I was able to get through to Expedia and get transferred to a hotel in Toronto itself (which had power back, but suburbs were still going to be a day or two).

Oh, my reason for going to Toronto - co-worker was getting married so 10 of us from office went to show our support (my former co-worker is now one of the co-owners of Georgetown Cupcake).

Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

I am still oxox — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 21:51:41 GMT

I am the OP and I knew it was 2003 not sure why I wrote 2004. I remember the blackout of 65 I was in 5th grade and the one in 77, it was Summer and I was working for a day camp and lost my job since I did not show up, we lived on the 17th floor I was not going to walk down and possibly up 17 floors in the dark.

Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

docsgirl — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 23:15:23 GMT

@Zaimee wrote:
@felixmom @docsgirl

I remember the 1965 blackout in NYC. I was also in 8th grade in junior high school (JHS 185) in Queens, NYC!

I remember reading a book, Death Be Not Proud, by candlelight.

And, my father worked in Manhatten in the garment center and had to stay overnight since the elevator and subways stopped working.

Zaimee, my dad also worked in the garment district. I wonder if they knew each other. That's where my parents met. Do you recall if there was a mass transit strike in addition to the blackout or was the blackout the reason the subways didn't run? All I can recall is that my poor dad walked all the way home in the pitch dark and my mom and I feared for his safety. I do believe Death Be Not Proud was required reading back then.

Re: Northeast Blackout 20 years ago tomorrow Aug 14, 2004

Mj12 — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 13:37:32 GMT

I remember it, 2003. I was working in midtown and we walked down 33 flights. I called my Mom on her cell and we met up. Trains weren't running so we made our way to the ferry on the west side. Stopped at the Intrepid and a nice guard gave us 2 bottles of water. It was so hot out and we stood in line for a ferry to NJ until 1am. Made it to Weehawken then we took an exhorbitant cab ride home, got home around 3am.