A MILD DAY IS HEADED YOUR WAY. 
WE WILL TALK ABOUT NEW YEAR'S 
EVE IN YOUR ACCUWEATHER 
FORECAST, COMING UP NEXT. 
>>> NOW TO THE LATEST 
INFORMATION ON THE HUGE ELECTRIC
ARC AT A SUBSTATION IN ASTORIA. 
IT LIT UP THE NIGHT SKY IN A 
BLUE COLOR. 
CON ED RESPONDED TODAY WITH AN 
EXPLANATION. 
THEY SAY AN ELECTRICAL FAULT ON 
A SECTION OF HIGH VOLTAGE 
EQUIPMENT CAUSED THE 
TRANSMISSION DISTURBANCE. 
BOY, WHAT A DISTURBANCE. 
IT CAUSED PROBLEMS FOR 
LAGUARDIA AIRPORT, RIKERS 
ISLAND, AND SOME HOSPITALS. 
NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED, BUT 
LOTS OF QUESTIONS LINGER. 
WE ARE LIVE IN UNION SQUARE 
WITH THE VERY LATEST. 
>> Reporter: CON ED IS SAYING 
LAST NIGHT'S LOUD BOOMS AND 
SPECTACULAR LIGHT SHOW WAS 
CAUSED BY A SUSTAINED 
ELECTRICAL ARC FLASH. 
THAT IS A TECHNICAL TERM FOR A 
STILL UNEXPLAINED ELECTRIFYING 
EVENT. 
THEY STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT 
CAUSED THIS TREMENDOUS AMOUNT 
OF VOLTAGE TO BE RELEASED INTO 
THE AIR. 
A LOOSE CURRENT, WHICH IS 627 
TIMES THE VOLTAGE WE USE IN OUR 
HOMES. 
THE BRIGHT BLUE ARC OF ALMOST 
143,000 VOLTS OF ELECTRICITY 
LIGHTING UP THE SKY, BEFORE 
GROUNDING ITSELF WITH A BIG 
BANG. 
IT WAS A MYSTERY TO THOSE 
WATCHING IT AND CAPTURING 
SPECTACULAR VIDEO ON THEIR CELL 
PHONES. 
>> I HEARD A GIANT BEING. 
I THOUGHT IT WAS FIREWORKS 
GOING OFF AND I LOOKED TO MY 
RIGHT AND I SAW THE SPARKS IN 
THE SKY. 
IT LOOKED LIKE BLUE FIRE. 
>> Reporter: IT RESULTED FROM A 
FAULT AT CON ED'S ASTORIA 
SUBSTATION. 
FDNY RESORTED TO DOZENS OF 
REPORTS OF WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT 
WAS AN EXPLOSION OR FIRE. 
>> YOU COULD SEE IT HALF A MILE 
AWAY. 
YOU FELT IT IN YOUR CHEST. 
THE NIGHT SKY TURNED ELECTRIC 
BLUE. 
>> Reporter: THE ISSUE RESULTED 
IN POWER SUPPLY PROBLEMS THAT 
LAGUARDIA AIRPORT, WHICH WENT 
DARK TEMPORARILY, GROUNDING 
PLANES. 
IT WAS LIGHTS OUT AT RIKERS 
ISLAND, TOO, UNTIL BOTH 
FACILITIES SWITCHED 
AUTOMATICALLY TO BACKUP. 
IT STOPPED SUBWAYS IN THEIR 
TRACKS AND THE CLOUD COVER, 
SHOWING THE BLUE, STOPPED NEW 
YORKERS, TOO. 
>> IT WAS A REALLY WEIRD BLUE 
COLOR. 
>> Reporter: CON ED IS SAYING 
THE EQUIPMENT WHICH 
MALFUNCTIONED HAS TO DO WITH 
VOLTAG
