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On August 14, 2003, at 4:06pm (ET), the biggest blackout ever recorded in US history occurred in the northern states. In about three minutes, everything shut down and fears of another terrorist attack flooded people’s minds. Those fears were pushed aside when, within 45 minutes, it was confirmed that it was not a terrorist attack. So then, what really happened? For decades, Canada and the US shared an electricity grid but years and years of use had worn it down. On top of this, there was to little investment in a transmission grid. Mayor Bloomberg asserted that the event started in Canada and Canada, in return, stated that the blackout may have been caused by a lightening strike on a First Energy, major transmission line in Akron, OH. A spokesman for First Energy said that on August 14, a tree fell on a heavy duty 345kV high tension line and “tripped off” a generator at a company plant. Also, another 345kV may have been overloaded with electricity that it sagged, shorting out the circuit below it. In spite of this, the spokesman also said that it was nothing unusual.
The significance is the mere fact that it was a huge blackout in some US states and parts of Canada.
The major facts are stated in the synopsis of the article but, for a brief overview: Canada & the US shared an electric grid for decades and First Energy had several technical difficulties. Those are few conjectures as to the cause of the blackout of August 14, 2003.
Community-wise, the blackout affected only the people in that area. It created a sense of calm and unity. To the nation, it caused miniscule terrorist fears and created an historical impact. It didn’t really affect the entire world as a whole.
I think it was great how the affected people could calmly deal with the blackout and control hysteria, if there was any at all.
The major players are Ralph DiNicola (First Energy spokesman), Steve Swan (shift supervisor @ New York Industry System Operation at the time of the blackout), Michael Bloomberg (NYC mayor), and Jean Chrétien (Canadian Prime Minister).
This event has already gone down in history as the biggest blackout ever recorded in the United States.
