What If America Went Dark?(www.nytimes.com)
18 pointsby danso7 hours ago7 comments
  • al_borland6 hours ago
    There was a multi-state blackout in 2003 that lasted up to 4 days in some areas. It was pretty bad. The gas pumps, requiring electricity, didn’t work. People quickly ran out of gas and left their cars abandoned at the station, waiting for power to be restored.

    I had about half a tank and remember just heading west, hoping I hit an area with power before I ran out of gas… thankfully I did.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_blackout_of_2003

  • jerlam5 hours ago
    I am surprised that nothing is mentioned about weather, as people have been moving to cities that are dependent on air conditioning.

    It estimates that about 1% of the population [of Phoenix], or 13,250 people, would die, and half the city, or 816,570 people, would be put in emergency rooms if power was completely out for two days, then slowly restored throughout the region over the next three.

    https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2023/06/05/study-phoenix-face...

  • bob10293 hours ago
    If America went dark I think parts of it would be OK. ERCOT and hurricanes have forced quite a bit of resilience throughout my region.

    I know of multiple people in the TX hill country with thousands of gallons of buried propane on site and brand new generators waiting to be fired up for the very first time. If the weather is mild, most of these people could go two solid months before refueling.

  • Venn14 hours ago
    I’d like to be optimistic and say we’d have about a week before things started getting Mad Max-y out here in the suburbs.
    • rgloveran hour ago
      I routinely tell my wife I'm ready to assume the rank of neighborhood warlord if things go tribal.
  • kookster3103 hours ago
    Currently on Day 4 of no power on the Big Island. Can confirm it sucks.
    • colkassad2 hours ago
      I feel for you. Went one to two weeks without power a few times from hurricanes over the years. One time our power came on after two weeks just as I came home. I had two hours to enjoy it before a storm came through and knocked it out again. Had to wait a few more days. I had a super loud gas generator and was worried about the noise but my neighbor just begged me to use it to dry her hair. I threw an extension chord over the fence and told her to keep it there.
  • danso7 hours ago
    Non-paywall link: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/magazine/national-blackou...
    • turtlebits3 hours ago
      "Someone unlocked this story for you. Log in to read for free."

      WTF NYT?

  • LargoLasskhyfv3 hours ago
    Then it would zonk the Zark.