Interesting story breaking from Atlanta--Hartsfield Airport's power was out for a very short time last night. The incident evidently only incovenienced passengers for 15 minutes (the outage was evidently shorter). The REALLY interesting bit is the fact there is no explanation yet about why the emergency power didn't work. This is probably NOT-Y2K related, I know, but it is noteworthy to see that outages can occur, and emergency power generators can fail. Perhaps it would be wise for the Nuclear Regulatory folks to remember this. The story was listed in AccessAtlanta.com but was sourced from the AP. I regret that prior engagements make it impossible for me to mud wrestle.

-- Sally Dalloway (aeronwy@hotmail.com), August 18, 1999

Answers

Please forgive any typos--add an N to inconvenience for example--I'm home with a sick dog and haven't had enough coffee yet! And yes, it's 11.20.......

-- Sally Dalloway (aeronwy@hotmail.com), August 18, 1999.

Well - the outage maight have been "that short", but Georgia Power (as of 11:00 am the 18th) is still trying to get the power restored to the train system, the terminal air conditioning system (it's only 95 degrees outside today! ... and the terminal is surrounded by several square miles of even hotter asphalt and concrete!), and to other services down there.

They don't know yet why emergency power DID NOT come on: but it appears this is a typical Atlanta City government operation. It had not been tested before (to my knowledge) after they (Atlanta) supposedly fixed evrything down there for y2k changes this spring and summer. (The Mayor, Bill Campbell, claimed everything at Hartsfield airport was compliant right on schedule on June 30. Delta Airlines says their technicians are still working with Hartsfield to finish....)

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), August 18, 1999.

Hey, only 135 more shopping days...

Got a generator?

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), August 18, 1999.

Just make sure it will start. Don't mess with those City ordinances about fuel storage either! They're placing children in foster homes, or actually, whatever THEY decide to do to make examples of you 'odd' people!

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), August 18, 1999.

Sally,

Re: your "prior engagements" line. ROTFL!!!

Jerry

-- Jerry B (skeptic76@erols.com), August 18, 1999.

Latest word is that one cable burned out - caused the loss of several others. the emergency generators came on finally, but were very delayed in startign - don't know why.

Of course the usual lines "lives and aircraft were never at risk....during the power outage ..."

Anyway - seems that the emergency power was not enough to power the "extra's" today. Minor things like trains, sidewalks, air conditioning, elevators and escalators (darn - those things keep creeping up again and again don't they!) and some of the baggage handling facilities - don't know exactly how much.

But that's only to be expected: just minor inconveniences in the bump in the roads of progress, right? 8<)

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), August 18, 1999.

Interesting. Hong Kong airport had a power outage yesterday, too.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), August 18, 1999.

Does anyone ever wonder abt sabatoge?

-- Moore Dinty moore (not@thistime.com), August 18, 1999.

It's a little too soon for me to worry about sabotage/terrorism. Industry as a whole is in the testing/implementation phase they all talked about in their Y2K disclosures last year. I think we've started to notice the momentum of "glitches".

-- Chris (%$^&^@pond.com), August 18, 1999.