Reports of a massive power outage impacting Manhattan’s West Side from about 72nd Street to 34th Street started around 7 p.m. on Saturday. The city’s power supplier, Con Edison, reported at 10 p.m. that more than 62,000 people were without power.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said preliminary information indicated that a substation fire triggered three other substations “to either go offline or to have a difficulty.” The outage impacted several subway lines and the NYPD has ordered many streets on the busy Upper West Side closed to all traffic except city buses.
While it appears that the blackout has caused confusion and inconvenience, no injuries have been reported. The disruption has, however, led to a memorable night in the city, causing some rare sights.
Power outage in Times Square. No billboards! Wow #nycpoweroutage #Broadway #NYC pic.twitter.com/EuXcL00MJ0
— John (@HollywoodCronin) July 13, 2019
The @EmpireStateBldg along with other structures in Manhattan are dark due to a massive power outage In Midtown, Times Square, and other sections of Manhattan on Saturday July 13, 2019 in New York City. Photo by John Angelillo @UPI #blackout pic.twitter.com/32lcqSwOcH
— UPI Photos (@UPIPhotos) July 14, 2019
Power outage on the upper west side #nyc #UWS pic.twitter.com/hwrVXjawGa
— Willie Jones (@2trainJones) July 13, 2019
When the NYC #blackout hit the Walter Kerr tonight, André and the company had to take this party to the streets! (🎥: @misskimizzo) #Hadestown #Broadway pic.twitter.com/oZTW3gaimm
— Hadestown (@hadestown) July 14, 2019
#blackout #nyc @jlo concert at MSG pic.twitter.com/Ih4JfddD7S
— DeevaDee (@DeevaDeeNY) July 14, 2019
https://twitter.com/charliephalsey/status/1150212939720384512
This is what #Manhattan looks like when the entire West side of #Manhattan has no power #nbc4ny #blackoutnyc https://t.co/Rq1ikpzhLO pic.twitter.com/uGd2TjGVLJ
— Steven Bognar (@Bogs4NY) July 14, 2019
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio left his presidential campaign stop in Iowa to return to the city as the news broke. Con Edison says it hopes have power fully restored by midnight.
Update: And here’s the exact moment one NYC neighborhood regained power.
https://twitter.com/rob_bennett/status/1150228979523248129
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