Momentary Electric Power Outage Throughout New York Has Powerful After Effects

by M.C. Millman 

A momentary power outage last night right at 11:55 p.m. left New Yorkers wondering why the lights flickered for less than a second.

The power outage left people trapped in elevators and trains while smoke was seen rising from a Con Edison substation in Brooklyn.

Lights flickering and internet outages were reported across New York while 911 received calls regarding an explosion at the substation, which NYPD reported as "a disruption causing a citywide power surge."

Riders were trapped in subways for up to twenty minutes, and drivers reported that street lights were also unresponsive at many locations.

The New York City Fire Department was spread thin as it worked through the resulting chaos to save people from elevators across the city, including Grand Central Station, where all elevators and escalators were out of service after the minuscule power outage. 

Con Ed said it experienced an issue at a substation in the borough, which led to "a dip or surge in power" witnessed by customers. In a statement, the power company blamed the event on "a fault on a high-tension transmission line occurred at a Con Edison substation in Brooklyn at approximately 11:55 pm last night," causing the "a dip or surge in power" witnessed by their customers. Electricity has been restored in nearly all locations, according to Con Ed.