Week 1 Project: Case Study

The Great Blackout

In New York City on July 13, 1977, more than 9 million people went without power for 25 hours after lightning struck power lines upstate. An ineffective hazard plan resulted in city-wide looting, millions of dollars in destroyed businesses due to arsons, and over 3,700 arrests.

Using the South University Online Library, research this event and learn about the shortcomings in the response to the crisis.

Access a copy of your local community's hazard plan from your local office of emergency management website. In most cases, this function is handled by the county government. If your particular county does not make such a plan available, locate one from a nearby county. Use it as a guide to help you create a hazard plan to address a blackout incident in your city today. Include the following in your plan:

• Determine the technical hazards that are covered in the plan.
• Describe the measures you would take to address a city-wide blackout and other potential technical hazards.
• Include procedures for communicating with the public.