So, apparently, it’s all gone dark in major sections of the true Northeast. Being down here in the Mid-Atlantic region suddenly appears to be an asset.
For those curious folk out there, similar disruptions have occurred in 1966 and once again in 1977. In fact, there’s a whole site located here devoted to them. I am amused, in reading one letter scanned in from an investigation of the 1966 blackout, which reads as follows:
Studies have been conducted to determine critical
switching time in certain key areas and plans are underway
to modify protective schemes to obtain faster backup
clearing and to obtain isolation of the affected area to
prevent the occurrence of widespread interruptions. We feel
that each of these steps will further reduce the already
low probability of occurrence of a widespread interruption
from the “possible but improbable” events.
I suppose they’re still working on those steps to reduce the “low probability of occurrence of a widespread interruption.