Worst Power Outage

We've all experienced it; right when we least want it to, ZAP!!!  The electricity goes out.  What's the longest time frame you've had without electricity/power?  I once had the power off for four days right after a winter storm.  I should feel lucky though, since some people had it out for two weeks.    Anyone been through worse?

Some hurricane (forget the name) came up through Washington DC a couple years back - we were without power for maybe three days.  Luckily it was over a weekend, so on day 2 (Saturday) I had finally had it and we made a road trip to Pennsylvania to see my wife's family.  Pathetic but I just can't live without electricity!  

I think the worst that I can remember going through was the blackout from 3 or 4 years ago that took out power on most of the eastern coast and midwest.  I want to say that we were without power for two or three days, but it was the dog days of summer and that meant no air conditioning too.  Worst part number 1 was being stuck on the 11th floor at work and having to go down 11 flights of stairs in the dark.  Even worse part number 2, was taking over two hours to drive the 5 miles to get home, and really, really needing to use the bathroom about an hour into the drive.  I was about ready to abandon the car and walk the remaining couple of miles to get home.

rushfan4 wrote: Slartibartfast wrote: MikeEnRegalia wrote: About 1 second. The worst effect was that I had to re-enter the date & time of my microwave oven. What an ordeal!  How did you ever cope? Here in Georgia the worst ones come when we get hit with an ice storm.  Regular storms occasionally knock it out here and there.  The last ice storm was a few years ago and I was home with the woman who became my wife.   Fortunately we have a gas stove, gas wall heaters, and a fireplace in the bedroom.  I don't actually remember how many days that lasted.  Not too long.  I remember a big one in the '70's growing up.  Was almost a week, I think.   I believe that there was study regarding the "baby boom" that occurs every nine months after a blackout.

I don't know about you, but I don't use electrical birth control.

Well of course, I'm old enough to remember the British miners' strikes at the beginning of the 1970s; country on a three day working week to conserve fuel, frequent power cuts, industry grinding to a halt...

...ah, the glory days of the 1970s eh?

^Ah, those were the days Jim, (that was the root cause of the demise of the Golden Era of Prog if you ask me, bloody Ted Heath and his gang of pre-war throwbacks). I was an apprentice at the time, so I still had to turn up for work even when we had no power. Spent most of the day sitting in the canteen and losing badly at cards before being sent home again. I've still got my petrol ration books somewhere.

^ you slept for 24 hrs

We lived under a dictatorship. That means electricity gone almost every night because of bombing. I think it was the only way 
the people was able to protest  in peace. I was just a kid when the "cacerolazos" (nearest translation would
be"saucepanery") happened. Someone bombed some local power plant, the light was off and everybody 
started beating with their saucepans. Weird, but memorable. As much as the afternon when we were visiting 
my father's familiy and there was a strugle between the oposition and the police. My dad carried me on his 
shoulders and start running while people right next to us was beaten badly by the police forces. I remember a 
guy vomiting because of those lacrimogen bombs, and entering a food store owned by one of my dad's friends
. Then, a long wait with the iron door down before it was safe for us to go outside. 

Edited by cuncuna - February 22 2008 at 00:12

lol .... my max was 3 or 4 hs not more... wow gees 4 days?!

Nah I have lucked out. Most I ever had was for a few minutes.
Seriously, anyone remember that huge power outage that hit like 1/3 of the US?
My lights flickered.....thats it. I didn't know about the outage until I saw the news.