Electrical service has finally been restored to the entire metro-NYC area but not before rioters, looters, and arsonists have destroyed hundreds of buildings in Harlem, Manhattan and the Bronx. 150 have died and over 2,000 remained hospitalized from injuries suffered during the looting spree. Just as the city is beginning to recover from the chaos caused by the blackout, television and radio stations and the major newspapers in NYC receive an anonymous call claiming that the metro water system has been contaminated with large quantities of diesel fuel. Random tests within the city show that the contamination has made its way into the myriad water mains serving the city. At 6 PM EST the mayor is forced to announce to the public that the water is unsafe and only bottled water should be used for drinking and cooking.
Widespread rioting breaks out as people scramble to buy bottled water at neighborhood stores.
The computer systems in Boston are attacked again. This time the hacker directs the traffic lights to signal in an erratic pattern. The bodies of the director of the IRS and a prostitute are discovered in a hotel room in Beltsville. Each has been shot in the head by a 22LR handgun and eviscerated. Several different individuals claim responsibility for the murders.