[quote author=Hoss link=board=10;threadid=18403;start=0#msg172654 date=1060896591]
I think it's spreading!!! ALL of our power just went out!!! I'm just sitting here in the dark twiddling my thumbs!! :-
[/quote]


You must be kidding? ??? With no power how did you get this post out? Unless you have an UPS. I just tried to access two Toronto newspapers and can't get in so must be no power there yet.

 

I just heard that it was caused by a lightning strike on a transformer.

 

called my system control center to ask if they new what was up (I work for manitoba hydro) ...........they say there was a lightning strike on a transformer somewhere south of niagr falls ...........

it cascaded and dumped the whole grid .........apparently some of the trip circuits wern't working


thankfully our ontario tie line tripped and we didn't dump ............

it'll be a while before they get her back up that's for sure.........been through a couple black out restoration scenario's just for manitoba and that's an all day thing, system is very unstable when going back on, and we're a tiny grid compared to what went donw

 

Anybody know if the Erie Pa area has power? Trying to check on the folks and kin up there and can't get hold of anyone.
Thanks,

Rob

 

Just answered my own question from CNN: List by state of areas affected.

Erie, Forest and Venango Counties all hit

 

The story about lightning striking a transformer near Niagara Falls has been withdrawn and suspicions have gone back to something happening in Manhatten. All speculation at this time.

 

well Cincinnati better pray. we almost lost both of our powerplants today. Zimmer spiked really bad and was close to a computer trip. Beckjord station lost one unit and is refireing right now. If there was not a complete blackout the plants will have a hard time starting back up since it takes power to make power. I'm sure they have a black out procedure like we have at zimmer where I work. I was not at work today but I was called in for tomarrow. why they need me in the coal yard I don't know :
DM01

 

Just saw that Texas is on its own power grid. See I told ya Texas was so big that it needed its own power grid. ;D

 

[quote author=Mexstan link=board=10;threadid=18403;start=15#msg172695 date=1060904358]You must be kidding? ??? With no power how did you get this post out? Unless you have an UPS. I just tried to access two Toronto newspapers and can't get in so must be no power there yet.
[/quote]

Hmmm....now what do YOU think??

 

Here is a summary I just found:

At a glance

Canadian Press


Toronto
All of Toronto was without power. The city's transit system shut down, grinding rush hour to a halt and stranding commuters in 31 degree Celsius heat. Those trying to make it home by car were snarled in gridlock; some commuters directed vehicles as traffic lights were out. Hospitals were functioning on backup power systems. Flights at Pearson airport were allowed to land, but only some international flights were allowed to take off, on a case-by-case basis.

Windsor
Windsor dispatched police officers to all major intersections during the rush hour traffic.

Sudbury
About 140 miners were stuck underground in a Falconbridge facility Thursday night after the power outage. Staff Sergeant Al Asunmaa of Sudbury police said the miners weren't really trapped in the nickel mine - it was simply a decision to keep them underground for the time being. The mine's elevator wasn't functional and the logistics involved in getting the miners out without power would be difficult, he said.

New York
Much of New York state was without power, including New York City. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said it was likely the blackout started in the Niagara Falls area and quickly spread. Across Manhattan, people poured out of skyscrapers and started trudging home on foot. Traffic lights were out, and subways and buses stopped. New York's three major airports were without power.

New Jersey
Much of northern New Jersey was affected. Train service was cancelled and the state emergency management office was activated.

Ohio
Power was out across a wide stretch of northern Ohio, from Toledo to Cleveland. Other cities reporting power outages included Akron, Elyria, Mansfield, Sandusky and Tiffin. FirstEnergy spokesman Matt Slagle said the company was getting reports of outages from customers throughout its coverage area in northeast Ohio. The company has 700,000 customers.

Michigan
Power was out from Detroit to the state capital in Lansing. Detroit Metropolitan Airport remained open with some delays. The outage closed the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel between the United States and Canada.

Connecticut
Power flickered across Connecticut and some areas of the state lost electric service completely. Northeast Utilities said nearly 58,000 customers were without power. Fairfield County and Connecticut shoreline towns appeared to be the hardest hit.

Pennsylvania
The northwestern corner of the state was without power. Power went out to much or all of Erie, Forest and Venango counties, according to emergency management officials.

Vermont
A handful of northern Vermont towns were hit. A portion of the Northeast Kingdom near Sheldon lost power for about an hour, according to the Central Vermont Public Service, which covers about three-fourths of the state. Some customers in Franklin County, including in Highgate and Swanton, also lost power briefly.

 

Always wondered what that switch went to in the closset. ???

DB

 

DB, tell me you didn't flip that switch in the closet. I told you time and time again to leave that switch alone didn't I? ;D

In all cerealness, I gotta hand it to the New Yorkers, at least the ones I saw on the news last night. They were moving about nicely, didn't look like anyone was in a panic and they were actually helping each other out getting out of the subway and things like that.

My hat is off to those people. 8)

 

Just got a print out from a fellow worker in the next ofice. Looks like 9 nukes are down in the north east. That's a lot of juice missing.

 

[quote author=Gary - KJ6Q link=board=10;threadid=18403;start=15#msg172771 date=1060915216]HMMMmmm - well, phone lines usually are unaffected by power outages (short term at least), and notebook computers are battery operated...

How'd I do proffessor? ;D ;D ;D
[/quote]

Good I suppose....except that I've got plenty of power. I'm in Texas...where we literally have our own power grid (which also supplies much of Oklahoma). They said yesterday that even in the recent heat waves when energy consumption was at all time record peaks that we still didn't even make a dent in the power supply. If we have a power outage...it's usually a local thing (some yahoo hit a light pole or something).