Remember the 2003 blackout? Exactly 42 years ago, on Nov 9, 1965? Where were you? Did you lose all power?

Question

Remember the 2003 blackout?

Exactly 42 years ago, November 9th 1965 at 5:16 pm Ontario Hydro Queenston, a relay switch failed, causing a power outage in western New York State which reaches New York City by 5:27 pm, plunging the city into darkness at the height of rush hour.

A series of major electric power blackouts lasts for up to 13 1/2 hours in over 200,000 sq km of Ontario, Quebec and the Northeastern US.

It is the largest power failure in North American history, and over 30 million people in Ontario, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire lose power for most of the night.

The Northeast Blackout of 2003 was a massive power outage that occurred throughout parts of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, and Ontario, Canada on Thursday, August 14, 2003. Although not affecting as many people as the later 2003 Italy blackout, it was the largest blackout in North American history. It affected an estimated 10 million people!

Answer 1

On Tuesday, November 9th, 1965, I was a high school sophomore, proably at football practice until about 6 pm.

I got home around 7 pm, ate dinner and did my homework.

About 10 pm I would have turned on the TV to watch the 10 o'clock news and that's probably when I learned about that blackout.

I was in Chicago where the black out did not affect me.

August 14, 2003 was a Thursday and my son and I were home packing the cars that day since the next day on Friday, August 15th, I would be taking him back to college.

We were living in the suburbs of Chicago and where taking him to a college in central Illinois and I don't recall if that power outage affected us or not.

I drove down with my car full of his stuff and then there was his car and another friends car full of stuff.

When I was in college 35 years before that, my Dad took me to college in his car and that was enough to hold all of my stuff.

In 2002 and 2003 every college student it seems brought not only the stuff I had brought to college but every student had their own computer and often a TV and a refrigerator as well.

But let me tell you it was weird moving my kid into the same dorm I had lived in 30 years before.

Pastor Art

Answer 2

Yes I remember this Black out in 1965 My family wasnt affected by it we had power. But!!! Times being what they were in the Atomic Attack age and only a few years had passed since the Cuban Missile Crisis--They local News reporters were trying to scare the Public in my Area with Talk of Russian Sabotage and the Great Possibility of the Nuclear Missile Attack which might Follow!!!!!

Answer 3

At that time I was living within the Appalachian power grid so there was no blackout in my region.
We all heard about it tho and were asked to limit our use of electric power.

Answer 4

Yes I do. I remember that. Although, the lights didn't go out here. I guess that the power grid is better maintained here in the south. We have never had problems like that and we never will.

Answer 5

I was at camp during the 2003 blackout. Yeah, we had some pretty nasty half-cooked lasagna and warm juice for dinner that night...

Answer 6

At that time I lived in Michigan and had no power outage.

Answer 7

Still a fews months from being born, but the folks were in Texas. Don't know that they were affected at all by it.

Answer 8

Yes. California. No.

Answer 9

No blackout in the Midwest, where I lived...

Answer 10

At ground zero, in NYC, at home with my parents. Good times!