Where were you when the lights went out?

Message 597 of 9403

The 44th anniversary of the big northeast blackout is coming up on 11/9. Do you remember where you were, what you were doing and, if you were in it, what you did during it?

posted by RiReg

I was in college -- freshman year -- in the midwest and hear about it while I was in the basement of the dorm doing laundry. My family, back in New Jersey, was fine.

posted by RiReg
over 2 years ago

I lived in Brooklyn, NY. My family was eating dinner at the time. I was a Freshman in H,S.

posted by MarisolNYC
over 2 years ago

In Canada watching them try to figure out which fuse blew....

posted by GDavid
over 2 years ago

I had left New York in 1969 and I was living in Beirut (Lebanon).

There was another blackout in New York a few years before, 1964 or 1965. I was living on the 9th floor of a building on 82nd street and 2nd avenue. It was a strange feeling to see the whole city in the dark. I was expecting guests for dinner and my husband had to walk from the 40s and climb 9 floors. The dinner took place, a candle light dinner...

posted by nathalie1
over 2 years ago

I remember hearing of it, but where we lived in eastern PA, we were fine except for the TV stations in NYC being off the air! Only transmission we had was local and Philly.

posted by JimmyD57
over 2 years ago

Anyone remember the forest fires in N. Western Canada and/or Alaska that they said were caused by the Russians with huge magnifying glasses that caused a fire to start. The smoke and smog was evident even in PA where I lived at the time. This was I believe in the late 50s???

posted by JimmyD57
over 2 years ago

I have been trying to think but I don't remember much about that blackout except seeing about people stranded in subways, etc on tv. Which must have been terrifying. I don't think we were affected in central Ohio.

Jimmy, I don't remember anything about those forest fires but I do remember we were blaming everything on the Russians at the time and there was a big deal about how close Russia was to Alaska. They made fun of Sarah Palin for saying that Alaska was close to Russia but that was a big concern back then.