What happens if there is a blackout during '04 in certain pivotal

[efhmc]

electoral states? Maybe someone else has already brought this up but what would happen? Would there be a backup site somewhere in Florida or in a certain part of Central Texas (near Crawford)?

[GOPisEvil]

1. Well, you know the state of Texas' Disaster Recovery Op Center...

...is in San Angelo, right?

That's where all the state computers are backed up. Maybe the elections stuff in TX is there too...

[efhmc]

5. Didn't know that. Is it becase it is so darn DRY out here?

eom

[Ediacara]

2. a backup site?

I'm not sure what that means...

I'd imagine people might be forced to use paper ballots though, which is not really a bad thing..... Except there probably wouldn'y be enough of them...

[efhmc]

4. Definitly not a computer whizz but I was listening to NPR talk about

the backup sites for the NASDAQ and how they would have all the relative and necessary info. It started me wondering if there was an area during an election for "mismanagement" and we know what can happen under those circumstances.

[inthecorneroverhere]

3. October-November would be a really strange time for a blackout

Good question.

November isn't exactly a peak electric consumption month.

July, August, the first part of September are peak summer consumption months. Consumption remains high through the first week or so of September but then slacks off as Autumn weather cools down the northern states. By the first weeks of October, the South is cool enough to stop running air conditioners. Halloween-time electrical demand should be low, and in fact, Halloween time is one of the times that the utilities use to refurbish equipment. March and April is the other refurbishment time, since heating demand is fairly low and A/C's aren't needed very much in March or April.

Late December, January, and February are peak home heating months.

Early November weather is usually quite mild. Heating needs are modest, even in the northern-most states, while cooling needs should be non-existent.

If there were to be a blackout in either October or November of 2004, it would be highly suspicious.

[efhmc]

6. Thank you for the good info.Still wondering what would happen if there

was say another type of real failure through some natural diaster. It's too late for hurricanes but what about ice storms? Even if the "blackout" were manipulated, would there be a backup collection site and how secure would it be? I really think I need to go read a good book and stop reading DU. I am getting slightly paranoid.