The Great Blackout of 1977

Just when the City was trying to get itself back on its feet came one of its most infamous moments. On July 13, 1977 at 9:43PM lightening struck some key Con Edison transmission lines in Westchester County, causing our entire city to fall into darkness. Unlike the blackout of 2003, during which most New Yorkers helped each other out and things were incredibly orderly, in 1997 the event was marked by inexcusable vandalism and looting. Fires were often set, and when the FDNY would respond to emergencies their personnel were often pelted with rocks. As usual, the apologists for the bad guys were soon offering their analyses of the situation, finding various excuses for their behavior. This may have been the Seventies, but unfortunately in certain circles the old Blame Society mentality which all but glorified criminal behavior as righteous rebellion still reined in many circles.

Things were pretty calm in the middle-class area where I lived at the time. Our neighbors had a portable generator, which they hooked up to flood lights, and some of us were out most of the night making sure things were alright. But in places such as Bushwick, the devastation resembled Baghdad. Five years later I spent a few months working in that area, and can never forget what I saw. Entire blocks were still all but burned-out. Some sections were like ghost towns. Many buildings remained abandoned, and you could still the fire damage. Those who defended the looters and arsonists no doubt were not those who were stuck with living in such a place.

In a sense, I think that the 1977 Blackout was a turning point for many New Yorkers. It may have been fashionable to think of the lines from “There But for Fortune” and romanticize common street hooligans. But when everyone got a sense of what such people were like when left to their devices, it helped some folks reassess their views on the subject.