The 2003 Northeast Black Out 22 Years Ago
The 22nd anniversary of the Northeast Black Out. A little after 4 p.m. on Thursday, August 14th, 2003, a widespread power outage hit parts of the Northeast and Midwest United States…
DETROIT, MI – APRIL 08: A view of downtown from the historic Corktown neighborhood on April 8, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. In an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Detroit Department of Transportation buses will begin distributing surgical masks to riders. Over 20,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the state. (Photo by Elaine Cromie/Getty Images)
( Elaine Cromie/Getty Images)The 22nd anniversary of the Northeast Black Out. A little after 4 p.m. on Thursday, August 14th, 2003, a widespread power outage hit parts of the Northeast and Midwest United States and parts of Canada (Ontario).
What Areas Were Affected?
Scott RandallView from my room during the Blackout
The outage affected over 55 million people in 8 States, including 6 million in Detroit and the surrounding suburbs.
Most people had to wait 7 hours to get the power back on, and for some, it took four days. And guess what caused it all? A software bug that fell like dominoes.
The outage affected over 55 million people in 8 States, including 6 million in Detroit and the surrounding suburbs.
The 2003 Northeast blackout, one of the largest in North American history, was primarily caused by a cascading failure of the power grid triggered by a transmission line fault in Ohio.
Specifically, overgrown trees contacting power lines led to a series of events that overwhelmed the system, resulting in widespread outages across the northeastern US and parts of Canada.
August 14th Seemed Like An Average Hot Summer Day
Temperatures contributed to increased energy demand due to the use of fans and air conditioning, which played a role in the cascading events that led to the Northeast Blackout of 2003 on that day. Millions of people across Michigan, as well as other states and parts of Canada, lost power starting around 4:15 p.m
I didn't think much of it at first, as I was off to work, knowing my job had back-up generators at the radio station. I still had to show up to work that night.
Only to realize later that this was no ordinary power outage.
The Blackout also ruined the evening for Fans at Comerica Park for a huge concert.
Comerica Park was SOLD OUT! Aerosmith, Kiss, Ted Nugent, and special guest Saliva. KISS
The Show was rescheduled to September, and strange that KISS was opening for Aerosmith.
Gene Simmons wrote on his website, “My apologies to all of you if the recent power blackout has inconvenienced you.” “KISS and AEROSMITH had a packed STADIUM full of fans waiting for the Detroit concert—unfortunately, there was no power, so we canceled. Likewise, I had to cancel my Detroit book signing. I promise to come back. So will KISS and AEROSMITH.”
