Appliances crackled back to life and light bulbs again blazed across most of the Northeast following the worst blackout in U.S. history, though getting electricity back didn't help those in Cleveland enjoy clean tap water. In New York on Saturday, subways were running again.
The lingering effects of Thursday's dramatic power outage stretched into Saturday as millions struggled with both the mundane - resetting VCR clocks - to the life-threatening - boiling tap to ensure potability.
Some customers in the Cleveland area, upstate New York and New York City received the unkindest cut of all: Their power was restored and then promptly turned off due to rolling blackouts needed to conserve electricity.
Officials in Michigan warned that the whir of air conditioners and the glow of televisions might not return until the end of the weekend as the cause of the massive outage remained a mystery.
aftermath