Northeast blackout of 2003 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 
This image shows states and provinces that experienced power outages. Not all areas within these political boundaries were affected.
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| Date | August 14–16, 2003 |
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| Duration | 2 hours–4 days, depending on location |
| Location | Northeastern United States, Southeastern Canada |
| Type | Blackout |
| Cause | Software bug in the alarm system in the control room of FirstEnergy |
| Outcome | 55 million people affected |
| Deaths | almost 100 |
The Northeast blackout of 2003 was a huge power outage. It happened across parts of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States. Most of the Canadian province of Ontario was also affected.
This event started on Thursday, August 14, 2003. It began just after 4:10 p.m. EDT. Many places got their power back quickly. Some had electricity again within two hours. The New York City Subway started limited service around 8 p.m. Full power was back in New York City and Toronto by August 16.
At the time, this was the world's second largest blackout. It affected about 10 million people in southern and central Ontario. Also, 45 million people in eight U.S. states lost power. In total, about 55 million people were affected.
What Caused the Blackout?
The main reason for the blackout was a software bug. This bug was in the alarm system at FirstEnergy. FirstEnergy is a company based in Akron, Ohio. Because of this bug, the people in the control room didn't know about a problem.
Overloaded power lines were sagging into trees. The system should have moved power around to fix this. But the alarm bug meant operators didn't know they needed to act. What should have been a small local power cut grew much bigger. It caused a collapse of the entire regional electricity system.
Remembering the Blackout
In Ontario, some cities held special events. They wanted to remind people about the blackout. These events encouraged citizens to save energy. The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) hosted "Voluntary Blackout Day."
Cities like London, Guelph, Woodstock, and Waterloo took part. They held these challenges every year. The last Voluntary Blackout Day was on August 14, 2010. After that, the OPA focused on saving energy all year round.
See also
In Spanish: Apagón del noreste de Estados Unidos de 2003 para niños
