NEWS: BlackOuts on the West Coast

Two incidents of power outtages are making headlines on the West Coast today. In Las Vegas, the world famous Bellagio Casino and Hotel experienced a major power outtage early this morning, causing visitors to have to check out, forcing the doors closed. The hotel will remain closed until Tuesday morning at least.

And in Los Angeles, early today a power surge caused a brief blackout which affected the control tower of Los Angeles International Airport. Over 100 flights were affected by the tiny blackout which disrupted communications, radar and radios.

Blackout at Las Vegas Hotel-Casino Leaves Thousands of Guests Out of Luck
A power line coming into the resort failed, said Alan Feldman, a spokesman for MGM Mirage, which owns the hotel. "We don't know what happened and probably won't for some time," he said Monday.

Feldman said thousands of feet of cable would have to be replaced and the hotel would not reopen until Tuesday morning at the earliest.

The power failure caused surveillance cameras to shut down, but a priceless collection of Monet paintings on display was safe, Feldman said. There were no reports of any injuries or thefts.

Electrical Blackout at LA International Airport's Tower Blackout Disrupts Air Traffic
A 34.5 kilovolt supply line went out for 10 seconds at 9:38 a.m., city Department of Water and Power spokeswoman Carol Tucker said.

"The cause is blamed on equipment failure," she said.

Despite the immediate restoration of the power supply, the effect on the tower lasted longer.

All radar, radios and telephones - essentially everything that controllers use to communicate with aircraft and other control facilities - was hit by the outage, Walker said.

Shortly after 11 a.m., Walker reported that most power was back on but enough equipment remained out that instrument approaches would not be possible.




[Edited on 4-12-2004 by worldwatcher]

I wonder if this had anything to do with it ?

I know these are California, but the problem could be occuring in other states ?


reported : 3-29-04 - California announces first Energy Crisis of the year...
www.abovetopsecret.com...

I wonder if Arnold will have to face the same issues of rolling blackouts this summer in California....or if this is some thing totally different?

Originally posted by worldwatcher
I wonder if Arnold will have to face the same issues of rolling blackouts this summer in California....or if this is some thing totally different?

here's Arnold at the first press conferece regarding a power outtage


"don't worry people the power will Baaaaak !"

retards... the power problem that happen today was the fault of the equpment it had nothing to do with the currption of government as his predessor had, Davis. As for thte first energy crises of the year, that was do to the rising gas prices... geeze

Originally posted by temp
retards... the power problem that happen today was the fault of the equpment it had nothing to do with the currption of government as his predessor had, Davis. As for thte first energy crises of the year, that was do to the rising gas prices... geeze

learn to spell before you go around calling people retards.....jeez

Easter (yesterday), our power went out in my part of Florida for about 4 hours, during a Thunderstorm

Thanks for the information, I hadn't heard anything about the power outage here in California.

Auuunnnold...LOL he saved someone in Hawaii this weekend from the ocean.

Rolling blackouts- I hope it doesn't happen again, here in California. I have very little faith in our politicians, esp the Republicans, maybe the energy industry is hurting financially too. Rolling blackouts are a good way to make money for them.

now being reported that the LAX outtage was caused by a bird.

here's the story link :
www.cnn.com...

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Officials blamed a bird on a power line for a seconds-long power failure that disrupted air traffic at Los Angeles International Airport for up to 11/2 hours

Apparently, a bird came in contact with the line and at the same time touched a cross-arm or some other grounded device, the DWP said in a statement. The line re-energized moments later.

"But we didn't find the bird on the ground, so it might have flown away," said Tucker.

I heard the 'Bird Theory' on my local news today! Genius, Absolutely Brilliant Investigation IMO. Even the news reporters were making fun of it, saying it must have been the same bird that hit Vegas!

I guess there are some things you just can't plan for huh? I mean who would have ever imagined, the remote possibility of 'A Bird' landing on a power line? Has something so crazy ever even been thought of, let alone witnessed within all known recorded history? (Thick, Heavy, Obvious Sarcasm Implied)

So am I or others supposed to feel real confident about the equipment running the airports now? Thank god it was only a little bird. Just think if something major had happened, like two toilets being flushed at the same time, the whole damn place could have collapsed!!! I don't know which is worse here, the fact that the "Bird Theory" was used to cover up something more sinister, or that the 'Bird Theory' is actually true, and LAX is so fragile that one tiny bird can actually cripple the Power and Communications of the whole airport!!

I still have a question though about this whole thing.

They are quoted as saying "No bird was found" so "It must have flew away." Ok......well if that is true, instead of the bird getting his "Goose Cooked" ( sorry, I couldn't help it).
How the hell do they know it was a bird then?

Couldn't it also have been, monkey's swinging from the cables or some escape lunatic thowing a switch somewhere or a bus load of nuns in ninja suits sabotaging the power generator, any of which also escaped before any attention had been taken to their activities? After all, they weren't found anywhere either, right? (I exagerate to clearify my point.)

Originally posted by mOjOm
I guess there are some things you just can't plan for huh? I mean who would have ever imagined, the remote possibility of 'A Bird' landing on a power line? Has something so crazy ever even been thought of, let alone witnessed within all known recorded history? (Thick, Heavy, Obvious Sarcasm Implied)

So am I or others supposed to feel real confident about the equipment running the airports now? Thank god it was only a little bird. Just think if something major had happened, like two toilets being flushed at the same time, the whole damn place could have collapsed!!! I don't know which is worse here, the fact that the "Bird Theory" was used to cover up something more sinister, or that the 'Bird Theory' is actually true, and LAX is so fragile that one tiny bird can actually cripple the Power and Communications of the whole airport!!

lmao i heard the bird story too, that is pretty funny, but your take is just hysterical. The actual power surge was said to have only lasted 10 seconds, yet it crippled the airport for hours.. and the Bellagio too....maybe those scientists were playing with their electromagnetic toys agains.

On the subject of the bird...

"They believe a bird perching on the line touched either the pole's cross arm or another grounded device."

Have any of you ever seen the videos of the guys who work on high tension wires? They have to do it from a helicopter because that keeps the worker from being grounded. If he were grounded, then he'd become the path of least resistance for the electricity to flow through and would be toasted. Somehow, though, we've recently encountered a new form of bird that can not only handle tremendous flows of electricity without bursting into flames, but can handle enough electricity to trip part of an entire grid, and escape unscathed.

Talk about total bird crap!

btw, the Bellagio is still closed today....may open tomorrow Wednesday.
Bellagio Resort Hopes to Reopen Wednesday After Power Outage
"This is an extraordinary situation. This is not a typical power outage," MGM spokesman Alan Feldman, said Tuesday at a news conference. "Because of the scope of this situation, the process of returning power to the Bellagio resembles that of the opening of a new hotel."

Officials have not determined what damaged the property's power lines, although a spokesman with Nevada Power Co. has called it an internal problem at the resort, not one caused by the electrical utility.