Half of Downtown Without Power!

[joshuataylor]

http://m.news4jax.com/news/transformer-fire-leaves-businesses-without-power/25618000

Way to go, JEA!

[simms3]

It happens everywhere.

[duvaldude08]

http://m.news4jax.com/news/transformer-fire-leaves-businesses-without-power/25618000

Way to go, JEA!

Guess you would hate to live in Ny huh?

[fsquid]

the audacity of that transformer to blow.

[acme54321]

It's unfathomable how they could be so imcompetent

[Elwood]

Wow. Really? I'm sure this must be some covert operation by JEA to destroy the urban core, chase out all business entities, and infuriate it's customer base. (where's that sarcasm font...). Accidents happen.

[David]

At Haskell I noticed a flicker shortly before the power went completely out. Which is rare for this part of town, the grid's pretty solid since there's so many larger companies on it.

Riverside avenue is slowly coming back online. Haskell has power now. This outage hurt us pretty bad, brought the entire company to a halt nationwide and in Mexico. Surprised we don't have a back up generator. Supposedly they've only suffered power losses just a handful of times in the past 30 years in that location.

[simms3]

^^^Have to say that it's shocking that Haskell Building doesn't have a generator - at minimum for EMS and life safety systems/elevators, etc.  With the amount of storms that roll through combined with above ground electric lines and large old trees that can fall or drop branches, you would think businesses that can afford a generator would have a generator.  Doesn't mean a power stop won't cut off computers before the generator kicks in, but a day without power?  Yikes...crippling 

When I lived in Atlanta I watched an intense storm roll through - amazing site (I lived in a 40 floor building at the time and had a great view about midway up).  Some tower cranes set up for a new high rise swung quickly in the direction the wind was blowing (more like howling), and a minute later a transformer right in front of me blew...all the lights in Midtown/Downtown in all of the highrises shut off.  It was SO eery and actually frightening...but most of the towers flickered back on as generators kicked in backup systems.

[Steve]

I will say....Riverside Ave was a zoo going home today. On the other hand, one of the many positives of living in the urban core is many alternative routes and no "one way in" communities. Park St was essentially clear in Brooklyn.

[Charles Hunter]

At about 5:45, JSO was operating the signal at Park and Forest.

[Steve]

At about 5:45, JSO was operating the signal at Park and Forest.

And poorly, might I add.

[mtraininjax]

Half of downtown? Sure glad the other half, including the Jail and Maxwell house had power! lol!

[BridgeTroll]

Sounds like some disaster recovery plans will be reviewed and updated starting today...lol

[David]

Haha yes indeed BT. We are in the process of moving our disaster recovery data center from Denver to Atlanta but it hasn't been completed yet.  My coworker in Atlanta summed up their day yesterday with this statement:

"We were dead in the water. Not even internet access. All the old-guard engineers pulled out pens and paper for the young designers to use. They looked confused."

The last they lost power was during the Great Jacksonville blackout of '02. So I doubt they'll spring for a full scale back up generator.

[BridgeTroll]

Haha yes indeed BT. We are in the process of moving our disaster recovery data center from Denver to Atlanta but it hasn't been completed yet.  My coworker in Atlanta summed up their day yesterday with this statement:

"We were dead in the water. Not even internet access. All the old-guard engineers pulled out pens and paper for the young designers to use. They looked confused."

The last they lost power was during the Great Jacksonville blackout of '02. So I doubt they'll spring for a full scale back up generator.

If you remember waaayyy back a few years when the old Southside generation plant (now gone) had a fire that blacked/browned most of Jax for almost 24 hours... That was when I got my DR act together.  The small entity I work for would NOT be dead for the day any longer under that scenario...