Riding the Umbra

[bcholmes]

I managed to not be affected by the blackout that hit the west end of Toronto, although my office lost power over night, and I spent part of the morning ensuring that servers were alive and running.

I knew, before I left home this morning, that the subway wasn't running so I took the car in to work. I tend to avoid travelling at rush hour, so that worked out fine.

But what was interesting was coming home. My office had power by the time I got there, but as I left the building to come home, I noticed that just one block over was still almost-completely black. You could see candlelight in some of the windows, and you could hear a gasoline powered generator somewhere in the neighbourhood. But street lights were out, houses were dark. Even at 6:30 pm. Some places were without power for twenty hours (and might still be without power).

Then, as I was driving along College back to my place, I hit a spot where the south side of the street had power, but the north did not. It's so strange to see the city so dark.

I came home to an email from my MP, telling me that her office was open to anyone who wanted to come and warm up and have a cup of coffee.

Comments

[laura-seabrook.livejournal.com]

Blackouts can be very strange at times. I've had blackouts here were only my street was affected; the whole suburb; everything from here to Glendale; Glendale but not here; two streets on eitehr side of the roundabout at the end of my street; the shops only at that roundabout, and so on.

Very strange driving (with one's dog) to see what areas where hit. In the big floods and storms the other year, Glendale (other than Woolies and K-Mart which had their own generators) had no power, Wallsend was flooded out, and Jesmond was business as usual.

[boywhocantsayno.livejournal.com]

If someone was still without power, how would they have seen the email from the MP? ;)

(Yes, I know... battery-powered laptops and dial-up... but how many people would think of that, or even still have dial-up access?)