Wall Street Journal -- Lightning Strike Is Blamed For East Coast Blackout

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Thursday, August 14, 2003 | Dennis Berman, Carl Bialik, Marilyn Chase, Jesse Drucker, Stacy Forster, Paul Glader, Jon E. Hilsenr

[TroutStalker]

A massive power blackout hit U.S. and Canadian cities Thursday, closing nuclear power plants from New York to Michigan, driving workers in New York and Toronto into the streets, and shutting subways in blistering heat.

Canadian officials said that the power outage was caused by a lightning strike at the Niagara power plant, setting off outages that spread over 9,300 square miles.

[GrandmaPatriot]

I believe the jury is still out on this one.

[Paul Atreides]

was caused by a lightning strike at the Niagara power plant

I thought Bubba was telling lies in California.

[Shermy]

I've seen on the net a plant called "niagara" on the US side, another on the Canadian side, the "niagara network", etc.

Might be a confusion in terms.

[Paul Atreides]

Oh yeah. Bubba was out in California, touring the Viagra plant.

[varina davis]

Some reports say there were no storms or lightening in the Niagra area at the time of the shut-down.

[TBall]

I just hope and pray the lightning doesn't strike twice.

[joesnuffy]

Lightning Strike Map

[Fred Mertz]

That's what they said caused the Jim Beam warehouse fire that burned about a million gallons of whiskey about ten days ago.

The locals say otherwise.

[MEG33]

The lightning story has been dumped.I have a feeling this problem may have originated in a place that may be diplomatically challenging.

If everyone in the grid operates according to a set of rules,this isn't supposed to occur says the head of a commission in charge of seeing to such things.Chretien was the originator of the lightning story I believe.

[TBall]

"We have been informed that lightning struck a power plant in the Niagara region on the U.S. side," So I guess the problem started at this plant. Maybe it was not lightning, but a bright flash that looked like lightning.

[quidnunc]

Chrétien may be lying through his teeth.

The people at the Niagra power plant are denying that they took a lightning strike, and there are reports that this plant was one of the few in the region which remained on-line.

[Prince Charles]

From a related article:

"We have been informed that lightning struck a power plant in the Niagara region on the U.S. side," said Jim Munson, a spokesman for Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien. Brian Warner of the New York Power Authority said he wasn't sure where the power failure originated. "The New York Power Authority's Niagara Power Project has at no time during this incident cease to operate. We also have not experienced a lighting strike at that facility," he said.

Once again, Cretin The Showboater has shot off his big mouth. Since he loves to be seen empathizing with victims, I wonder what he can do to showboat this time: maybe step on the third rail to show it's safe?

[Brian S]

The people at the Niagra power plant are denying that they took a lightning strike, and there are reports that this plant was one of the few in the region which remained on-line.

I heard this also and believe it is so...something stinks and I still do not rule out terrorism, on CANADIAN SOIL!!!

[mlmr]

What do the locals say?

[StatesEnemy]

What part of ""We have been informed" don't you comprehend?

Sounds like the 'story' started on this side of the Falls.

[Prince Charles]

U.S. officials said they were looking at a power transmission problem from Canada as the most likely cause of the biggest outage in U.S. history, said a spokeswoman for New York Gov. George Pataki.

Comprehend this.

[lawdude]

"...something stinks and I still do not rule out terrorism, on CANADIAN SOIL!!!"

I am anything but a conspiracy type and do not side with those that yell "terrorism" whenever something happens, but here, something is strange!

[nuconvert]

Neat. Thanks

[StatesEnemy]

Sounds to me as neither side has a clue.

[meyer]

I am anything but a conspiracy type and do not side with those that yell "terrorism" whenever something happens, but here, something is strange!

What seems strange to me is that politicians are predicting the cause before utility officials have even looked at all the data. And, I can assure you that there is plenty of data.

[Lancey Howard]

LOFL, yeah, "We have been informed...."
Weasel words from that scumbag Cretin.

[RichInOC]

Warning ZOT?

[Prince Charles]

Sounds to me as neither side has a clue.

...Which is why Cretin The Showboater should have zipped his lips.

[StatesEnemy]

The Blame lies with our leaders who have been too busy stripping the constitution and checking the shoes of lil' old ladies in Airport lines....

Our borders are still wide open, and our power grid (amongst other civilian systems) are still woefully unsecured.

[buffyt]

This whole power outage reminds me of the AIRHEAD Liberal waitress we met last year while on vacation in Pacific Grove, Calif. The elec. at her restaurant was off due to a terrible storm. She said "I'm not all that attached to electricity!" What a moron. THIS is what happens without electricity. Excuse her, she is probably tree sitting now.... She deserves a Darwin award! I wanted to ATTACH her to some electricity!

[MEG33]

The plant the Canadians say was struck by lighning never went offline.It's not a true representation of the facts.

[eggman]

On the local TV station weather report (Cleveland) the meteorologist said there was no lightening anywhere in the area. The nearest was in West Virginia. Indicated that she didn't think it was possible that there was a lightening strike in the Niagara region as there were no storm clouds anywhere near there.

[StolarStorm]

And TWA 800 was brought down by spark in the tank. Tim McVeigh didn't have a third accomplice either. Sad, the lies continue. I was hoping that GW wasn't going to play by the DC rules of deny deny deny.

[Cicero]

It certainly sounds as if Chretien is lying, which is hardly surprising given his record.

Probably he doesn't want to risk a long-term loss of electricity sales to the U.S. If it started in Canada, then this would be the second time a major power blackout did that. It would certainly make Canadian electricity less attractive to American buyers.

[Rudder]

...the power outage was caused by a lightning strike at the Niagara power plant, setting off outages that spread over 9,300 square miles.

It's that damn power grid thingy again. Who designed a nodal system that is collapsed by failure by any one of its nodes?

The system appears to be not unlike the old Christmas tree lights which were wired in series, one bulb out, they all went out. Real smart engineering here...

[ntnychik]

Gorgeous blue sky day. Looks like our lib friends north of the border like to finger point, too.

[joanil]

Lightning?!? Sounds bogus.

[TheFrog]

Re: "It's that damn power grid thingy again. Who designed a nodal system that is collapsed by failure by any one of its nodes?" The system was designed to handle failure, but it has been almost twenty years since any significant T&D redesign or upgrade has taken place in the US.

Ask the real question, why is it that utility companies have not made any significant expenditures in T&D in almost twenty years?

Now ask yourself how fast would you complain if the power company had to take your home, ranch, business etc. for a new right of way.

p.s. for some light reading look and see how the rate systems are calculated and approved by PUCs

[GrandmaPatriot]

The people at the Niagra power plant are denying that they took a lightning strike, and there are reports that this plant was one of the few in the region which remained on-line.

I heard this also and believe it is so...something stinks and I still do not rule out terrorism, on CANADIAN SOIL!!!

I saw an interview with the spokeswoman from the Niagra power plant and she did say that they were not hit by lightning and that they only saw a slight dip in power at the very start of the outage. They in fact continued to produce power during the blackout and are still producing.

[nutmeg]

Canadian officials said that the power outage was caused by a lightning strike at the Niagara power plant, setting off outages that spread over 9,300 square miles.

"We have been informed that lightning struck a power plant in the Niagara region on the U.S. side," said Jim Munson, a spokesman for Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

Our local weather guy - Bruce DePrest of WFSB-3 CBS - said on the 11pm news that he checked Doppler radar extensively with his counterparts in Buffalo, NY... he said there was NO lightning tracked in that area at all in the past 12 hours or so.

[nutmeg]

See #36

[Fred Mertz]

Our local weather guy - Bruce DePrest of WFSB-3 CBS - said on the 11pm news that he checked Doppler radar extensively with his counterparts in Buffalo, NY... he said there was NO lightning tracked in that area at all in the past 12 hours or so.

That's not at all surprising.

[Intolerant in NJ]

"We have been informed that lightning struck a power plant in the Niagara region on the U.S. side," said Jim Munson, a spokesman for Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien...our local Philly channel 10 weatherman went ballistic over this tonight - "there were no storms anywhere near that area this afternoon - any one who says it was lightning is either misinformed or lying" is how he put it - he's kinda nerdy, but he does know his weather.....

[Burkeman1]

Funny? Shouldn't you be praying now?

[JulieRNR21]

Heard Hitlery in phone interview on CNN....in her grating shrill voice she was trying every witch way to blame Bush for the blackout.

She was in a car stuck in traffic going home to Chappaqua.

What a phony....she was talking as if she was actually driving the car....grrrrrr!

[MEG33]

I very cleverly managed to avoid hearing Hillary..

[JulieRNR21]

I very cleverly managed to avoid hearing Hillary.

I was 'surfing' & happened on CNN....then I heard the shrill voice, monotone drone & usual 'Bush bashing'.

Good news ....she may miss some 'book signings' due to outage delays.......LOL

[lawdude]

"And, I can assure you that there is plenty of data."

Yes, and the dims are yelling it was CAUSED by Bush's FAILED ENERGY POLICY.

S H eee I T

[MEG33]

I heard some of her fans literally cry with emotion at these booksignings and even become faint at the prospect of meeting her.These types will need to be sedated after the news of cancellations!

[FreedomPoster]

>>Some reports say there were no storms or lightening in the Niagra area at the time of the shut-down.

I have an online acquaintance on another forum who lives there, and that's exactly what he says. He also says that weather history maps he looked at show no storms in the appropriate timeframe.

[N. Theknow]

Thanks for posting that lightning strike map. I was wondering the same thing. Why hasn't anyone shown the "Doppler 3000 Radar" ,or whatever, with lightning strikes.

Watched all the news shows looking for someone to show this, but nobody has done it yet that I can find, except you. And I must be missing something, cause "I dont' see no stinkin' lightnin' man."

[MEG33]

Bloomberg said the outage originated in Canada.I was suspicious of the numerous "causes" coming from Canadian spokesmen. Everyone needs to work at finding out the truth and trying to fix the problem.

[N. Theknow]

The culprit has been found!

This man was spotted in the Niagara region yesterday!

[hawkaw]

The lightning story has already been shot down. Just like the nuclear plant story and the fire in New York.

My Canadian federal government had no clue what was going on and it seems like they were wanting to get back at the USA. These people should be fired. This is disgusting and our PM should offer everyone in the USA an apology.

hawk