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Blackout
2003
By
Mary R.
Shefferman
I
survived the
blackout of
2003. I also
survived the
ones of 1977
and 1965. I
have no idea
what I was
doing during
either of
the previous
blackouts.
It's kind of
weird that I
don't
remember the
one in 1977,
seeing as it
turned into
such a
melee. But I
have no
recollection
of it. Ah,
youth and
its
capricious
memories.
My
husband Eric
and I had
just walked
into a
Sports
Authority
store when
the lights
dimmed, then
failed. We
were asked
to come to
the front of
the store.
It seems the
manager was
right on
things to
prevent any
looting,
because all
customers
are
potential
looters, you
see. We
obeyed,
eager to
show we were
customers on
the
up-and-up
and not
those
dastardly
looters
disguised as
customers.
Someone
came in and
said the
lights were
out up and
down the
road. Then
the manager
received a
call from
another of
the Sports
Authority
stores here
on Long
Island --
their lights
were out,
too, as were
the lights
at a third
store on the
Island. That
was our cue
to go home.
Obviously
something
was up.
On
the way home
we listened
to the
radio. Most
of the
stations on
the presets
were dead
air. One was
playing
music,
oblivious to
the darkness
all around
them. We
finally
found
someone
talking
about the
power outage
on a
Connecticut
station.
They said
lights were
out in
several
Connecticut
towns.
That's when
we realized
it was the
power grid
-- what else
could knock
out lights
from Long
Island to
NYC to
Connecticut?
This was not
reassuring
news, mostly
because we
didn't know
why the
power grid
was out. Our
first
thought was:
Terrorism.
That means
the
terrorists
have
succeeded,
creating
fear even
when they do
nothing.
(But you
can't really
go by me,
I'm an
anxious
sort.)
After
wending our
way home, we
immediately
set to
finding
batteries
for a radio
and candles
for the
night. By
now
officials
were saying
it was not
terrorism.
Or that they
were pretty
darned sure
it wasn't
terrorism.
So that left
us to
figuring out
how to make
our
telephone
ring (it
took a
little
rerouting
and a new
9-volt
battery, but
we did it)
and what to
eat for
dinner. Then
we tried to
call people
with no
success. I
had wanted
to check on
my parents,
but they had
apparently
not figured
out how to
make their
telephone
ring. Since
it was just
a blackout,
I figured
they were
all right.
They are
intelligent
resourceful
people.
Food.
The steaks
in the
refrigerator
were only
going to go
bad, so we
barbecued
them. They
hadn't
marinated as
much as we'd
have liked,
but they
were good.
Water.
We drink
bottled
water, so we
always have
a good
supply of
it.
Entertainment.
While it was
still light
out, we set
up a little
table
outside and
played
Waterworks
(a very
simple
game). When
darkness
came, we
went inside
and set up
candles and
flashlights.
Then came
the
brightest
light -- an
idea. We
plugged a
lamp into
one of the
computers'
uninterruptible
power
supplies (UPSs) and had
enough light
by which to
read for a
few hours.
When the
UPS's
battery was
depleted it
was late
enough to go
to sleep.
I
was awakened
around 6 or
7 AM to the
sound of my
clock radio
going off
(which it
does when
power is
restored so
you know to
reset the
time). I
turned off
the radio
and went
back to
sleep.
Our
biggest
concern
through the
blackout was
the
well-being
of our
ferrets.
Ferrets are
not
warm-weather
creatures
and ours are
used to air
conditioning
in the
summer
months. Our
place is
well
insulated
and is on a
concrete
slab, so it
stayed
pretty cool
inside
despite the
heat
outside. We
made sure
the ferrets
had plenty
to drink,
and were
prepared to
dunk them in
water if
they started
to show
signs of
wilting.
They were
less active
than usual
and very
confused
about being
let out to
play in the
dark.
Although
ferrets can
navigate
well in the
dark (in
fact, it can
be difficult
to tell a
ferret is
blind unless
you move the
furniture),
ours kept
looking at
me as if to
say,
"Um...
you forgot
to turn on
the lights,
lady."
In
the end, the
blackout of
2003 was
mostly
uneventful
for us. I'm
glad I
wasn't stuck
on a train
or subway or
in an
elevator
when the
lights went
out. I'm
glad that
those who
were stuck
were able to
get out
mostly none
the worse
for wear.
I'm also
proud of the
way New
Yorkers came
together to
help each
other during
this
blackout.
Maybe the
terrorists
have only
served to
make us a
more
cohesive
group of
people. I
hope that
roils them.
--Mary
16 August
2003 |
