NYC Subway Passengers Stranded for Hours During Storm-Related Power Outage
Wednesday night’s heavy downpour brought more than just rain to New York City. A citywide power outage, triggered by the tempestuous weather, crippled the subway system, leaving countless commuters stranded in the dark and sweltering heat for hours.
A Commuter’s Nightmare
Anders Nelson, a 42- year-old Brooklyn resident, found himself trapped aboard a packed F train at the Jay Street-Metrotech station. What began as a routine commute home turned into an ordeal lasting over two hours.
“Some people were kind of losing it,” Nelson recalled. “Calling the conductor on the little call box and asking all these questions. The conductor kept coming on every 20 minutes or so and just saying there’s a power outage, we can’t move, we don’t have AC, they’re working on it.”
Makeshift Community in the Darkness
As the air conditioning failed and temperatures soared, passengers started sharing water and snacks. Some, facing dire circumstances, resorted to using the space between train cars as makeshift restrooms. A sense of camaraderie emerged from the chaos, with passengers offering what little they could to make the situation more bearable.
“People were peeing in between the cars. People were passing out cookies,” Nelson described. “It became a little community thing.”
Widespread Disruptions and Delays
The A and C lines experienced significant disruptions between Manhattan and Brooklyn, while the G train was completely suspended between Church Avenue and Bedford-Nostrand Avenue. The 6, E, B, and D trains were also affected by massive delays, and the F train, on which Nelson was stranded, was rerouted. Two trains stalled at the Downtown Brooklyn station, requiring the intervention of firefighters, who reported transporting one person to NYU Langone in Cobble Hill.
As the storm raged on, the National Weather Service predicted that the city would likely receive a few inches of rain, accompanied by strong winds and the potential for flooding.
A Veteran Commuter’s Worst Nightmare
Nelson, who has been navigating the New York City subway system for 20 years, called the experience the worst he’d ever encountered. “I’ve been stuck where they don’t move for 10, 15 maybe even 20 minutes,” he said, “but never anything like this.”
